Michael Jackson's Thriller jacket to be auctioned

The jacket Michael Jackson wore in his "Thriller" video is being put up for auction.

Auctioneer Darren Julien said the red and black leather jacket was "the most recognised and significant piece of pop culture" to come up for sale, and he expects it to fetch at least 200,000 dollars (£122,000) at the Music Icons auction on June 25 and 26 in Beverly Hills.

Other Jackson items on the block include the wig he wore when he announced his ill-fated "This Is It" concert series, his shirt from the "Scream" video and the battered mailbox from the Carolwood Drive estate where Jackson died at age 50 in 2009.

The Music Icons sale also includes memorabilia from Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, among others.

Jackson autographed the jacket as a gift to his costume designers, Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush. He wanted them to use it as a template for his future concert fashions. A portion of the proceeds from its sale will benefit the Shambala Preserve, where Jackson's two Bengal tigers, Thriller and Sabu, have been living since the pop star left his Neverland ranch in 2006.

The sale also includes one of Eric Clapton's guitars, Frank Sinatra's patent leather boots and 1986 Jaguar, hand-written lyrics and a leather jacket from Johnny Cash, jackets and a guitar from Elvis Presley, a signed harmonica from Bob Dylan and nearly 600 other pieces of music memorabilia.