Courtesy of Julien’s AuctionsA rare copy of the “butcher cover” version of The Beatles‘ 1966 album Yesterday and Today that was once owned by John Lennon was sold for 179,200 pounds, or about $234,000, at a memorabilia auction held Thursday at The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool, U.K.
The LP, which had been expected to fetch between $160,000 and $180,000, is a stereo prototype disc with a blank back, which Lennon decorated with a personalized drawing for a Beatles bootleg collector named Dave Morrell.
Lennon traded the album to Morrell in exchange for a reel-to-reel recording of a rare Beatles bootleg. John signed the front of the album “To Dave from/ John Lennon/ Dec 7th 71,” and Morrell later also got Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to autograph the cover.
The LP was one of many items auctioned at the “Music Icons: The Beatles in Liverpool” sale, which was presented by Julien’s Auctions.
Another collectible that brought in big bucks at the auction was a baseball signed by all four Beatles at the band’s final U.S. concert, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in 1966. The ball sold for about $73,000.
In addition, a custom-decorated acoustic guitar that belonged to British singer and actor Alvin Stardust and signed by a jaw-dropping list of music legends fetched about $54,000.
Among the stars who’d autographed the guitar over the years were Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, all four Beatles, five Rolling Stones members, The Who‘s Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, Bill Haley, Gene Vincent and many more.
You can check out the complete results of the auction at JuliensLive.com.
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