In the end, the lowest winning bid turned out to be $283,299.99, with the average winning bid priced at $292,580.86.

That was the smallest winning bid in the entire $13.7 billion, 1087 license auction.

For the big European and North American telecommunications companies that had winning bids, Brazil is a market with enormous growth potential.

E.D.S. said it had based its winning bid for the contract on department specifications that had forecast much less work.

LVS submitted its winning bid on its own.

"Financially, I felt like I was out of my mind," the part-time medical technician said of her winning bid.

These old engravings often go unsold on eBay today, but in the 1836 auction of some plates the winning bid was 420,000 (adjusted for 2010 inflation).

In the end, the lowest winning bid for a pair of medallions yesterday was $681,100.99.

Some variations of this auction have the winners paying the highest losing bid rather than the lowest winning bid.

Boston Properties' winning bid of $455 million was approved last February.