HOW MANY WHITE ALBUMS?

200 Rarest Albums (RC 355) is the very best thing I’ve ever read in RC, with in-depth information about the actual vinyl records, down to matrix endings and mother and stamper codes! Even if I think that some of the prices are too low, eg you value Red Dirt at £650: I would put the value to more like £900+. I know of a copy recently which changed hands for £1200.

Anyway, the ‘winner’, the magnificent White Album, is the album I’d probably prefer to end up on a deserted island with, and of which I possess a precious No 00000064, is an album still hiding many mysteries!

The greatest mystery is just how many copies were printed of each number? As goes for value, definitely the first 10 are in a class of their own, as these reputedly were given to the four members of the Beatles! But the first one hundred should also be in a price class of their own! These were reputedly spread out amongst the Beatles employees, friends and associates! But again, how many copies were printed of each number? Definitely more than one, as there are test presses etc.

Some say that each member of the Beatles disposed of their own bunch of the first hundred, thus indicating that at least four copies were made of each number! One fan site claims that as many as twelve copies were made of each number, as the printers had as many as twelve different printing machines going, but this is probably nonsense! But how many copies were printed in reality, and up to which number were doubles, triples, or quatros or whatever made? Nobody seems to have any idea about this question. As I said, I have a No 64, but there are at least TWO further copies of this having changed hand over the last years! Wouldn’t this be a worthy, worthwhile topic to investigate, about the most valuable album in the World? Probably one of the most important questions ever asked!

by haaken.eric.mathiesen@mev.no
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