A letter written by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein following the sacking of the band's original drummer Pete Best is going up for sale.
Epstein signed up Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Best - the band's first drummer - on January 24 1962, after hearing them play.
But only months later he fired Best and replaced him with Ringo Starr.
The letter which is up for sale was part of a tranche of communications Epstein sent to "secret Beatle" Joe Flannery, a key figure in the Fab Four's rise to fame.
Flannery, who died last year aged 87, was the band's booking manager from 1962 to 1963, during the early years of the Fab Four.
On September 8 1962, Epstein wrote to tell him he had released Best from his contract.
He had told the Liverpool drummer three weeks earlier that he had to leave the band.
The letter has been kept by Flannery's family and is now being sold by his nephew.
Epstein wrote: "I read from the Mersey Beat (Liverpool music publication) Pete Best has now joined The All Stars.
"I have sent, today, to him a certificate of release from his obligations under contract to myself."
Epstein added that he sent "our sincere wishes for Pete's and the group's continued success".
Best (78) previously spoke of how Epstein had told him at a meeting that he was being sacked and replaced by another drummer.
Speaking on The Late Late Show last January, he said, "Brian was very much to the point, We'd had business meetings before because I handled the business side of things,"
"I thought it was going to be a brain-picking session. I walked in and Brian wasn’t his usual cool, calm, placid self, he was very agitated and I looked at him and I said 'whoa, something smells here...'
"We talked around the subject and then he said, 'Pete, I don’t know how to tell you this - the boys want you out' and the key words were it’s 'already been arranged'. I was devastated. I'd been with them for two years, known them for three, done everything which was required of me. Done the leathers, the cowboy boots, the hair, you name it...
"I wish I knew why they kicked me out. The reason they gave was that I wasn’t a good enough drummer. That’s never held water with me or the people of Liverpool. At that time I was said to be one of the best drummers in Liverpool."
The collection, going under the hammer at Omega Auctions, also includes notes, post the Beatles, from Paul to Flannery.
Auctioneer Paul Fairweather said: "From 1959 onwards, Joe was a close friend and associate of The Beatles and played a major part in guiding them to their meteoric rise to success in 1963.
"The letters themselves show a close working relationship between Flannery and Epstein in the group's early days, and we're excited to see how Beatles collectors and fans will respond on the day."
Epstein is believed to have been referring to Best's ex-bandmates when he sent "our sincere wishes for Pete's and the groups continued success".
Fairweather added: "It is on record that they all felt bad when Pete was ousted so I am sure it was pleasing for them to see he had joined a new band."
After playing in a number of groups, Best left the music industry to work as a civil servant for 20 years, before starting the Pete Best Band.
In 1995, Best received a substantial payout from sales after The Beatles released Anthology 1, which featured early tracks with Best as drummer, including songs from their auditions for the Decca and Parlophone labels.
This summer, Best extended an olive branch to Ringo, wishing him a happy 80th birthday.
"Thought about it and thought why not. Happy Birthday Ringo. It's a special one. Have a good day," he wrote on Twitter.
Vinyl records and more memorabilia will also be up for sale at Omega Auctions, in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, on Tuesday October 27, with the items expected to fetch a total of £15,000.
