Star Wars lightsaber could fetch millions at auction

The famous prop will be going up for auction in September

Star Wars fans will soon have the chance to get their hands on memorabilia from the movie franchise, but if you are interested, it could set you back a cool £2 million.

The Star Wars lightsaber used by super villain Darth Vader will go under the hammer for the first time.

The weapon, which was used in the 1980s films, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi, will be going up for auction in September.

The prop, which is being sold by the auction house Propstore, is estimated to sell for a staggering $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 (£746,000 to £2,241,000).

The famous lightsaber was used during the huge duels in both films between Darth Vader, played by David Prowse, and Luke Skywalker, played by Mark Hamill.

"Genuine lightsaber props from the original trilogy are incredibly rare," Propstore said.

"This is believed to be the only hero lightsaber prop with verifiable screen-use to ever be offered at public auction. It is one of the rarest and most sought after "grail" Star Wars props in existence."

The lightsaber was made using the flash handle of a vintage British press camera.

A wooden rod which was used as a blade during the choreographed fight scenes made the physical on-camera duelling possible.

It also allowed visual effects artists to add in the famous glow for the final shots.

Villain Darth Vader is known for using the lightsaber in duels with Luke Skywalker

"Nearly 50 years after the first Star Wars film, lightsabers are a universally recognised symbol of the world's most beloved film franchise and are consistently ranked as the most iconic and memorable props of all time," said Brandon Alinger who is the CEO at Propstore.

"This lightsaber is simply everything you want it to be - one of the most significant Star Wars artefacts ever. One of the most significant cinema artefacts ever."

The prop will go on tour and visit London, Beverly Hills and New York throughout August before the live auction takes place in Los Angeles this September.

The tour will also feature other famous film artefacts including Indiana Jones's bullwhip and belt, and Sauron's helmet from the Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring.