A regular Hermès Birkin bag is worth thousands of dollars. But the one that started it all, Jane Birkin’s original prototype, sold for 8.6 million euros at Sotheby’s Paris, or $10.1 million, setting a new record for a handbag sold at auction.

Jane Birkin's original Hermès bag has sold for a record-breaking €8.6m (£7.4m; $10.1m) at an auction in Paris.

The original has some unique features, such as Birkin's initials on the front flap, a non-removable shoulder strap, the nail clippers she kept attached to the strap, and marks where she put stickers ...