A vial of Ronald Regan’s blood taken after a failed assassination attempt in Washington DC over three decades ago is currently being auctioned online.

The dried blood residue is contained in a five inch glass vial which shows the date of the assassination attempt. Printed in purple ink on a label is: “REAGAN RONALD 940029 THOR / 610892572 AARON PRESIDENTIAL / SUITE 3/30/81 M 2/02/11 JAP.” 940029 was Reagan’s patient ID.

The auction for the memorabilia closes at 7pm on Thursday, the highest bid so far for the item is $9,907 (£6,270).

According to letter of provenance, the blood sample from the 40th President of the United States has been in possession of the owner's family since March 1981.

The owner’s mother, who worked in a blood testing division at a laboratory, asked the director of her laboratory if she could keep the paperwork and the test tube in the days following the initial blood test. After her death she passed it onto her son, who is now selling the item.

In broad daylight, John Hinckley Jr took six shots at Reagan as he left the Hilton Hotel in Washington DC on March 30, 1981.

Reagan was seriously injured when the bullet hit him under the left arm in his lung, just an inch from his heart.