(CNN) A signed photo of the baseball athlete "Shoeless Joe Jackson" has been sold at record $1.47 million in auction, according to Christies, the house that auctions Christies.
The 1911 photograph is the only photo that was signed by the player who was unable to formal write or read, it said.
Christies announced on Twitter that that the price at which it sold on Thursday was the top ever for a photo of a signed sportsperson which was far higher than the estimate for auction of $200,000 to $400,000.
The auction was conducted by Hunt Auctions, that specializes in old sports memorabilia.
In the listing of its auction of the lot, Christies said the 8" by 10" photograph taken by Frank W. Smith showed Jackson during Spring training at Alexandria, Louisiana, in March 1911. It was described as being of "outstanding" quality.
"Jackson's crude and laborious signature is instantly identifiable due to his inability formal write or read. Due to Jackson's illiteracy it is difficult to find original examples of his signature available. The currently available Jackson autographed image is the only known example of any kind.
"Based on the dearth of signed photographs from this period in general, as well as the small number of authentic Jackson autographs, we can't undervalue the rareness of this item," it said.
"The Shoeless" Joe Jackson autographed photograph realized an outstanding, and well-deserved record price. The unique combination of rarity, high-quality grade and unquestionable source of origin all contributed to the interest of buyers from the US and around the world," Dave Hunt, President of Hunt Auctions, said in a press announcement.
World Series match-fixing scandal
Jackson was a member in the 1915 Chicago White Sox' World Champion team, but was barred from playing because he was accused of fixing his 1919 World Series.
Christie states that during his 13-year playing career, Jackson had more than 1,700 hits and a .517 Slugging percentage and had an average of .356 which is the third highest player in MLB history.
The auction house listed Babe Ruth as saying: "I took Jackson's style as a model because I believed Jackson was the best player I've ever seen as well as the best natural hitter I've ever seen. He was the one who made me an ace."
The Baseball Hall of Fame says Jackson made his debut with Philadelphia in 1908 and was sold to Cleveland Naps in 1910 and the White Sox in the middle of 1915's baseball season.
It claims that Jackson was an "titan player" as well as "perhaps the most famous" among the 8 White Sox players accused of throwing the World Series.
"Legend claims that, as he left the courthouse after he had given his testimony and confessing to any involvement in the scheme the boy shouted"Say it's not true, Joe! It's not true!'" The Hall of Fame says.
"Joe Jackson was a poor, working-class American as he played the game with great satisfaction while enjoying a huge amount of success throughout the span of his professional career. While Jackson is not eligible to be inducted into his place in the Hall of Fame, the Museum is able to honor his accomplishments by displaying and preserving some of his artwork," it says.
They include a pair of his shoes from 1919and even despite his namethe player was wearing in 1919, as the Hall of Fame says.
A museum dedicated to Joe Jackson from his home town of Greenville, South Carolina, claims that the athlete earned the nickname when he took off his shoes because of blisters during the 1908 game. The player went on to hit one home run according to according to the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum declares and fans of the opposing team yelled "you shoeless son of a gun." The museum claims that it was the first occasion that Jackson was without shoes.
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