The bible, given to the singer on his first Christmas at his home in Graceland in 1957, was bought by an American man based in Britain, Omega Auctions said on its website.

The religious book, used by Presley until his death on August 16, 1977, was expected to fetch around 25,000 pounds but went for more than double its value.

But a pair of Presley's unwashed and soiled underpants, worn underneath his famous white jumpsuit during a 1977 concert, went unsold.

Bids for the underwear reached 5,000 pounds, but failed to meet the 7,000 pounds reserve price.

Some of the singer's other personal items sold at the auction on Saturday included used cufflinks, a gold pendant chain/necklace and black Flagg Brothers shoes.

The entire Elvis collection, owned by a single British collector, went for more than 100,000 pounds at Omega Auctions in Cheshire, north England.

($1 = 0.6240 British pounds)

(Reporting by Stephen Mangan, editing by Diana Abdallah)

• A Permanent Economic Emergency