Personal check, 6.25 x 3, filled out and signed by Lennon, payable to The Inland Revenue for £40,000-0-0, August 13, 1970. “J. O. Lennon” is printed on the check above Lennon’s signature [Lennon added ‘Ono’ as a middle name in 1969]. In fine condition, with red ink cancellation through a few letters of signature, and bank stamps to body, with one lightly over the first couple letters of signature.
The Beatles were in turmoil in 1970. Earlier that spring, Paul McCartney had announced he was leaving the band, and even as the finishing touches were being placed on ‘Let It Be,’ all four members had turned their attention to individual solo projects. By August, three months after the release of their final studio project, Lennon was literally paying the price of success, forking over £40,000 via this check to the Inland Revenue—the arm of the British Government responsible for the tax collection. It wasn’t much longer before Lennon and other representatives of Britain’s rich and famous began fleeing their homeland. For Lennon, that meant leaving England for New York City in September 1971—his final journey across the pond. Although many business checks have appeared on the market, only a scant number of Lennon personal checks—numbering in the low single digits—are known to exist. The printed identifier “J. O. Lennon” adds to exclusivity of this personal check! Pre-certified Roger Epperson/REAL and RRAuction COA.
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