The Beatles' Musical Tribute

Franklin Mint "Limited Edition" Music Series

Abbey Road
Beatles '65
Help!
MMT
Sgt. Pepper's
Yellow Sub
Click on images to enlarge and see bottom view plus certificate

Available exclusively from the Franklin Mint, this 6-set series was issued starting in 1996 and sold for $55.00 each. The advertisement gave this description:

"An officially authorized hand-painted Limited Edition musical tribute to The Beatles. The Fab Four are intricately crafted in Tesori porcelain, a sculptor's blend of powdered porcelain and resin chosen expressly to capture every detail, and meticulously hand-painted in "psychedelic" colors which are true to the original. Preserved in a crystal-clear dome and individually hand numbered, this work of art is a must for every true Beatles fan. Each one plays a different tune according to the album which it represents. Each one comes with a letter of Authenticity, and is officially authenticated and authorized by Apple Corps Ltd."

Abbey Road plays "Here Comes The Sun", Beatles '65 plays "I Feel Fine", and Help!, Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt. Pepper's and Yellow Submarine play their title songs.

The accompaning certificates list the "casting days" at 95. According to a former employee of The Franklin Mint, this hardly would qualify these as "Limited Editions", as very large quantities can be produced in a single day. He further commented that "Tesori" porcelain is a name TFM made up and that it's simply a deceptive term for the porcelain aggregate they use: powdered porcelain and a binding resin. In his opinion these products, while certainly of interest to Beatles fans, are neither "limited" nor worth the $55 each that TFM charged.



    

Advertisements for Sgt. Pepper's and Help!. Click to enlarge


Special thanks to Tom Drozewski for scans and additional info



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