On Thursday, the owner of Easy Street Records — an independent Seattle, Wash.-based music store — uncovered possibly one of the most unique pieces of rock n’ roll memorabilia to date.
Matt Vaughan was rummaging through a collection of records, according to NME, where he later noticed a royalty cheque issued to the late-Kurt Cobain, formerly of Nirvana.
The expired cheque was written for the small amount of US$26.57 and dated March 6, 1991.
Meaning it was issued more than six months before the release of Nevermind (1991), Nirvana’s biggest record to date and one of the most successful albums of all-time.
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After making the discovery, Vaughan posted the artifact to his store’s public Instagram page. “6 months before #Nevermind would change the face of the planet,” he wrote.
“We’re guessing the next royalty checks were a bit larger than only $26.57,” he concluded.
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In an interview with NME, Vaughan revealed that the cheque would have been sitting stagnant in the store for “years.” “We just found it … or should say noticed it,” he said.
Easy Start Records opened in late 1987/early 1988, at around the same time Nirvana was formed in Seattle, adding onto the likelihood of Vaughan’s findings.
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According to Vaughan, he also discovered a backstage pass, a doctor’s bill and a money order for Cobain’s former landlord among a number of Nirvana’s late-tour itineraries.
The items were reportedly discovered in a collection of early 1990s used records, which is what Easy Street Records specializes in.
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Cobain’s expired check is supposedly worth close to $50 as of this writing, thanks to inflation.
Global News has reached out to Easy Street Records seeking further comment.