George Harrison: A Dollar Bill Signed by the Beatle Is Selling for Hundreds
Over two decades after his death, George Harrison is still proving how much his name is worth to Beatles fans. Harrison, who found the sale of Beatles memorabilia to be a bit strange, signed a dollar bill for a fan years ago. That item is currently up for auction and will bring in hundreds more than what the bill alone is worth.
A dollar bill signed by George Harrison is up for auction
RR Auction is currently auctioning off items from prominent classic rock artists in their Marvels of Modern Music collection. The collection includes a number of items relating to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and more.
One item up for auction is a dollar bill. Writing in black ballpoint pen reads “To Bob, George Harrison.” Though it is unclear when Harrison signed the bill, it is from the 1981 series.
At the time of publication, the signed bill is worth over $600. Fans have until June 19 to purchase this item and more from the collection.
George Harrison was more concerned about the money in his pocket than his bandmates were
While Harrison said he did not get into music for the money, his mother said he did have concerns about what he was making.
“He was always very serious about his music, and the money,” she said in the book The Beatles: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies. “He always wanted to know how much they were getting.”
Harrison was also the only member of the band who carried money on him in case of emergencies. One night in Wales, the band went out to dinner and, when the bill came, realized no one was carrying a wallet with them.
“When the bill finally came, I found I did not have enough money, nor did anyone else,” wrote Davies. “The Beatles never carried money, just like the royal family, and this time, in the rush from Euston, they were without their normal aides and assistants who carried the purse with them.”
The waiter grew agitated, believing that they were going to walk away without paying. Luckily, Harrison had thought ahead.
“George suddenly put his bare foot on the table,” Davies wrote. “He had taken off his sandals and was examining the sole of the shoes. There was a slit at the front and from it he withdrew £20, more than enough to settle the bill. He had put the money there for such emergencies, months if not years previously, and forgotten about it until that evening.”
He thought the sale of Beatles memorabilia was a little ridiculous
The Beatles were one of the biggest bands in the world, and many fans want to be able to own something that belonged to them. Harrison thought this was a bit odd.
“It’s ridiculous, yeah,” he told The Today Show in 1987, adding, “It’s got out of hand, actually, if you ask me. It’s out of hand. There’s Sotheby’s and Christie’s and Phillips in London, who like they have a sale like every month; one of them seems to be having a sale of all this stuff.”
Still, he acknowledged that if he was ever short on money, he could start selling his belongings to make an enormous profit.
“I get a little bit annoyed by it because, I mean, I could really clean up in that game,” he said. “I suppose it’s nice in a way that if ever we were short of cash, we could sell up and go on holiday.”
