RIAA Gold 45 "white matte" award for the Beatles "I Want To Hold Your Hand", which was released on Dec. 26, 1963 and certified Gold by the RIAA on Feb. 3, 1964 for one million copies sold.
One of the most famous hits of the Beatles career, it was their very first #1 in the U.S. and also topped the chart in virtually every other major music market worldwide as Beatlemania swept the globe. According the Bill Harry's The Beatles Encyclopedia, it is also the best selling single worldwide of the group's career. See image above for the RIAA sales certification info on this single*.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold 45 award with white matte, gold disc, and gold info plate
- Estimated to have been made in 1964
- Presented to Capitol Records
- In VG condition with some typical frame wear
- Has unopened original back with New York Frame & Picture Co. manufacturer sticker
- "White matte" awards (obviously so-named due to the white matte used) were made from from 1964-1974
- RIAA white matte awards numbered only 5-25 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures approx. 13" x 17"
- Beautiful and very rare collector's item
- FREE WORLDWIDE insured shipping on this item (see details in red above and please also note all conditions related to international shipments here)
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold single award is estimated to have been made in 1964. The award is presented to Capitol Records. This award is 58 years old and yet is in VG condition. There is some very minor discoloration of the matte, a few mars on the wood frame and wear on the backing paper as is expected. The award has its' original New York Frame & Picture Co. manufacturer sticker.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to get a highly coveted early Beatles RIAA white matte award for their first #1 hit in the U.S. Did you know the Beatles have more RIAA sales in the top 10 highest auction sales than any other artist? See the top 10 in our article here.
*Avoid paying auction fees/buyer's premiums by buying our RIAA awards here on our site before they go to auction. We take select RIAA awards to auctions a few times a year.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com