McDonald's chip fetches $75,000 at e-auction

In the latest in a line of publicity stunts that has seen the hiring of a woman's cleavage to advertise its logo, internet casino GoldenPalace.com has shelled out $75,100 for a McDonald's chip.

The gaming firm emerged as the winning bidder for the McDonald's 'Lincoln Fry', which is made from polyurethane and stands approximately 4in tall with a partial bust of President Abraham Lincoln on one end.

The move comes after the company paid $28,000 for a cheese toastie which allegedly contained an image of the Virgin Mary.

McDonald's put the chip, which was a prop for its Lincoln Fry television and internet advertisements, on Yahoo Auctions to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities. The ad campaign was viewed by millions of people when it was first shown during the Super Bowl.

"When the ads aired, it was obvious that they were a parody of our extremely successful marketing campaign involving the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich that we won on eBay for $28,000," said GoldenPalace.com chief executive Richard Rowe.

The company said that it will send the $75,100 chip on a US tour along with the Virgin Mary toastie.