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Star Trek costume Kirk wore during famous Uhura kiss could be yours

William Shatner sported the Grecian-style getup during the historic interracial kissing scene with Nichelle Nichols, and now it's up for auction.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
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Uhura and Kirk embrace in Plato's Stepchildren.

CBS

In 1968, at the height of the US civil rights movement, the Star Trek episode Plato's Stepchildren featured an interracial kiss between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols). It was a daring and indelible moment for television. 

The two Starfleet officers, captives of a telekinetic alien species called Platonians, were forced by aliens to kiss while wearing Grecian outfits. The costume worn by William Shatner is now up for bid through auction house Prop Store

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Both Kirk and Spock's costumes from Plato's Stepchildren are up for auction.

Prop Store

The skimpy costume is made from polyester fabric with drawstrings at the waist and shoulder. The baldric features a metallic Greek key pattern.

The 50-year-old outfit comes from Star Trek costume designer William Ware Theiss' personal collection. It has been living in a climate-controlled warehouse, leaving it in excellent condition. 

Prop Store expects the Grecian costume to go for as high as $60,000 (£46,000, AU$83,000). It is part of a larger TV Treasures auction that's currently accepting online bids ahead of live bidding on Dec. 1. 

The auction lots, sourced from memorabilia collector James Comisar, also include a Klingon tunic, Spock's Grecian costume from Plato's Stepchildren and other costume and prop items from the original series. 

If you're ambitious, you could buy both Kirk and Spock's ensembles and reenact scenes from the famous episode.

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