Heavy metal progenitors Black Sabbath and their subsequent history has been well-documented, but now you'll have the opportunity to own a piece of that history! Memorabilia dating back to the early days of the band will be auctioned off in Sheffield, England on Sept. 30.

Each item in the auction will span the period between 1968 and 1973, from the group's pre-Black Sabbath days which began under the moniker Earth through the release of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Among the lot are postcards from Ozzy Osbourne to his parents back home, handwritten lyrics to Earth's "Changing Phases" which would later develop into "Solitude," (appearing on the 1971 album Master of Reality), a flyer for a gig billed under Earth and more.

As Antique Trade Gazette notes, the items will be auctioned off as one complete lot rather item-by-item and the set will start at around £2,000 -£3,000 (roughly $2,500 - $3,800). The postcards written by Osbourne provide an early glimpse into the band and the state of rock and proto-metal at the time. Upon arriving in France, Osbourne wrote to his parents, "Arrived here safely, but it is not a nice place, I don't think the people like long hair," going on to remind them he'll be played on the radio over the weekend and wishing his older sister Iris and her baby well.

More information and photos can be found at the Antique Trade Gazette.

While this set offers a look into the very early days of the band, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler have their eyes set on "The End." The Black Sabbath farewell run kicked off in February earlier this year and a second North American leg will pick up on Aug. 17. A full list of tour dates for this leg can be found at our 2016 Guide to Rock + Metal Tours.

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