Full Details for Lot 175

Sale 09ROCK Lot 175

The Beatles First State Sealed Mono "Livingston" Butcher Cover
1966. Yesterday And Today (Capitol T-2553). WHAT A RARITY! A sealed first-state mono "Butcher" cover LP from the Alan Livingston collection, including a signed Livingston letter and a photocopy of the original Capitol Records recall letter to reviewers. As most collectors know, first state (i.e., original) "Butcher" covers are extremely rare because most copies were recalled and either destroyed or "recycled" by pasting the 2nd "Trunk" photo slick over the more "offensive" first Butcher photo on the front cover. Even rarer are those first states that remain unopened today; these usually sell for three to four times the value of Near Mint opened ones, as they assure that the buyer has not purchased a "peeled" version. In 1986, Alan Livingston, who was the president of Capitol Records in 1966, gave his son Peter his personal stash of four stereo and 20 mono sealed first states. All of these were purchased by collectors at escalating prices over the next couple of years. To confirm the authenticity and origin of the albums, each was issued with a signed letter from Alan Livingston. As Bruce Spizer notes in his book "The Beatles Story On Capitol Records Part Two", "These sealed albums are known among collectors as "Livingston Butchers" and are considered pedigree copies. They are noted both for their Mint condition and for being from the collection of the former president of Capitol Records". These command a premium over "regular" sealed Butchers, much like comics from the legendary collection of Edgar Church, purchased by Mile High comics in 1977. We are proud to offer one of these original sealed mono "Livingston Butcher" cover Yesterday And Today LPs. This is a fantastic example! Stunning condition-- a perfect example. The finest we've ever seen. GORGEOUS!
Estimate $ 20,000-30,000