John Lennon MBE Return Letter Estimated To Be Worth Over $70K

(Classic Rock) A draft of the letter John Lennon wrote to the Queen explaining why he was returning his MBE has been valued at over $70,000. It was originally found inside a record sleeve bought at a car boot sale for �10 ($12-$15) around 20 years ago.

The anonymous owner took the document to a valuation day at The Beatles Story in Liverpool this week, where the item received its hefty asking price. Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were awarded the titles in Queen Elizabeth's 1965 birthday honors list, but Lennon returned it on November 25, 1969, in protest against the Vietnam war.

The document reads: "I am returning this MBE in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts." Read more here.

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