A John Lennon-owned copy of the Beatles’ infamous “butcher cover” version of Yesterday and Today, autographed by three members of the Fab Four, sold for $234,000 at a Beatles-themed auction this week.
The vinyl copy – autographed by Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and featuring a back cover sketch drawn by Lennon – was the centerpiece of Julien’s Auctions’ The Beatles in Liverpool auction, which featured over 300 items of Fab Four memorabilia.
“This was a world record for a Beatles Butcher cover and the third highest price paid for a vinyl,” Darren Julien, CEO/President of Julien’s Auctions, said in a statement. “The market is still developing so we anticipate in the next five years this same record could bring $500,000 plus.”
The auction house previously set the record for highest price ever paid for a vinyl record, a $790,000 bid for Ringo Starr’s personal copy of the Beatles’ “White Album.” An acetate copy of Elvis Presley’s “My Happiness,” bought secretly by Jack White in 2015, ranks as the second-highest price paid for a vinyl record.
According to Julien’s Auctions, Lennon’s copy of Yesterday and Today “was displayed on the wall of John’s Dakota apartment in New York City before being signed and given to Beatles fan Dave Morrell, in a trade to obtain the reel-to-reel recording of Yellow Matter Custard that Morrell owned.”
“The buyer who has asked to remain anonymous is a US collector and bought the record as an investment believing it will increase in value in the years to come,” the auction house added.
Other highlights from the auction included a baseball signed by all four Beatles at their final U.S. live performance at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park ($75,000), a poster from Liverpool Airport announcing the “Visit of The Beatles” on July 10, 1964 signed by all four Beatles ($41,700) and an acoustic guitar with custom decoration signed by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Buddy Holly ($54,200).