“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Released, and certified Gold by the RIAA, in June of 1967, Sgt. Pepper’s cultural impact and contribution to the creative fiber of music is undeniable.
You see it here, celebrated as an authentic, first-state, first presentation, white matte. The most valuable of RIAA record awards because of their rarity.
- Authentic refers to an award being requested by the record company and made by an authorized RIAA award manufacturer. In the white matte period, 1964 -1975, there was only one, New York Frame & Picture Co. In 1967, these awards cost about $100 from the manufacturer. The record company would order them from the RIAA and the RIAA would in turn order from New York Frame & Picture Co. Finished awards would be shipped to the RIAA, who would sell them at a markup and re-ship to the record companies.
- First-State awards (also referred to as unopened) are authentic with the original backing paper still in place. A second-state award has been opened to clean, repair or replace parts. The benefit to collectors of first-state awards is the expectation that all parts are original and can be linked to their authenticness and time of presentation.
- First-Presentation awards are correct in parts and format for the date an award was certified. You would expect that an award manufactured in 1967 would have the record company label that was used in 1967 and the construction of the award would follow the typical construction of the period.
Here are some things to look for in evaluating an authentic, first state, first presentation RIAA White Matte from 1967.
The original backing paper feels and looks over 40 years old. It will also usually be cracked around the edges, especially at the sides and top because that’s where an award gets picked up and the paper quite normally breaks.
Many awards have been re-papered as an act of conservation to protect their insides when the torn area gets large. Simple backing paper replacement doesn’t affect value but it is an indication for a closer inspection to make sure no other changes have been made.
This award gives us another indication of its first-state. The cracked backing paper allows us to see the small nails that hold the matte to the frame. As you can see they have only been put in once. If they had been removed to allow a fix on the inside, even if the original nails were reused, you would expect to see plier or hammer marks on the matte where the nails were taken out and reinstalled.
Early RIAA awards have Bainbridge mattes which are thicker and tend to yellow, unlike later mattes. Look closely where the matte is cut to expose the mini and plate and you’ll see the Bainbridge matte.
Having the correct label for the date of certification is another way to ascertain that an award is a first-presentation. Though I don’t have a close up photo, this Sgt. Pepper label is the correct one for 1967 because the second cut is titled: A little help from my friends, not what was used on later labels: With a little help from my friends. (Thanks to Gary Johnson at Rockaway Records)
The personality and patina of this award is the dirt on the inside of the glass. It has not been opened to be cleaned. Some prefer to open and wash the glass so everything looks pristine but in my opinion they lose the premium value of an unopened award. To each his own.
The manufacturer’s sticker is usually in the center, inches down from the frame. Here you see the correct authorized manufacture, New York Frame & Picture Co. And on closer inspection the sticker shows their correct address in 1967, 141 Fulton Street, which changed to 29 John St. when they moved in 1969.
Thanks to Brad Rogers for this spotlight award.
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Detailed photos (a minimum of front, plate and back) will provide insight to the history and nature of an award, but holding the physical award in your hands is always best.
