John Lennon’s personal copy of Yesterday And Today by the Beatles, featuring the controversial ‘Butcher Cover’ will go to auction next month.
The 1966 record was initially only launched in the US and Canada and arrived in Japan in the 70s – but it took until 2014 for the album to be released in the UK on CD.
Lennon’s prototype version will be one of the items for sale at Heritage Auctions on November 11, with the album given to Beatles fan and collector Dave Morrell, who was in a studio showing Lennon some of his memorabilia and bootleg material in 1971.
Lennon traded the album for a reel-to-reel tape of the Beatles tribute supergroup Yellow Matter Custard and filled the blank back cover with an original piece of art in black ink. It depicts a man with a shovel and his dog, both posed in front of a setting sun.
The album also features Lennon’s signature along with those of Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
Bids are currently being accepted for the unique piece of Beatles’ memorabilia and it’s expected to sell for more than $200,000.
See images of the front and back covers below.
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