John Lennon Handwritten Letter to Fan "Brenda" and Paul McCartney Letter to Mal Evans | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Hi Hucko

The first thing I will say is that any opinion given here is just that, opinion. The major auction houses who hold music memorilbilia auctions (Sotherby’s, Phillips, Bonhams, Christies) have experts at this type of thing, and offer free valuations which would, obviously, take in their opinion on authenticity. So far as I know, they would be prepared to respond to a photograph of an item as to whether it is worth closer examination.

Looking at the letter itself, there are things about it that I do not like – John’s handwriting wasn’t usually so right-leaning, the lower case e’s are unusual for John (though not unknown). That said, depending on provenance, and you’ve said little about that here, overall it looks right to me.

Of course it’s cool, very cool. I particularly like the “as you see I have no paper” line.

I hope this helps, but my real advice is not to take my opinion but contact one of the major auction houses.

It doesn’t make an authentic item any less authentic, however it does throw up questions and doubts.

The all-important thing with any item is its provenance, its history, and if part of its history is an authentication by an “expert” with a questionable reputation, and who it is said of that many major American auction houses will no longer accept any item based on an authentication by him, that damages its provenance. I am not American, and know little of this individual, and though I do not know if the accusations against him are true (authenticating autographed baseballs as genuine when the baseball was manufactured after the person who supposedly signed them had died, authenticating facsimile signatures of people like FDR as genuine, authenticating for money items that others had already said were fakes in court documents), having his name attached to the item does damage its provenance.

Lennon autographs are valuable. Around half the value of a complete set of Beatles autographs are made up by the value of John’s. A good John letter is worth much more than a simple autograph. There are fakes out there.

No valuer worth their salt will authenticate an item based on a photograph alone, they will want to see it in person, they will want to know as much of its history as possible. If it is an item that has always been in the family, that “Brenda” is your sister, mother or aunt or something, that leans toward it being genuine. If, however, it is an item you bought based on his authentication, that has to throw up questions because of the accusations against him.

As I said in my first response, there are things that I do not like about it, and with a questionable expert involved, and without knowing more of its all-important provenance, that has to throw more doubt on it.