MANILA, Philippines — A guitar that belonged to late singer-songwriter John Lennon, initially thought to be lost for half a century, broke the auction record for a guitar in Beatles history.
The 1964 Framus 12-string Hootenanny acoustic guitar, which Lennon used on the Beatles' 1965 album "Help!," sold for $2,857,500 (P167 million) through a telephone bid in an auction overseen by Julien's Auctions in New York's Hard Rock Cafe.
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The purchase also makes the instrument the fifth-most expensive guitar ever sold in history.
Julien's Auctions co-founder Darren Julien even went to the United Kingdom to verify the guitar after it was found it an attic and salvaged its original case, which had been thrown away.
The 90-year-old man who initially found the guitar worked as the road manager for the '60s duo Peter and Gordon, the latter obtaining the instrument from Lennon in 1965 then gave it to the road manager.
"This guitar is not only a piece of music history but a symbol of John Lennon's enduring legacy," said auctioneer chief executive David Goodman in a statement. "[The] unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of the Beatles' music and John Lennon."
Previous Beatles memorabilia sold at auction include another Lennon guitar for $2.4 million (P140 million) and a Ludwig drum kit belonging to Ringo Starr for $2.2 million (P129 million).
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