S_Matt said:
the mono mix came about due to cheapskate theatre owners who wouldn't upgrade to stereo. There's no historical value to that whatsoever. And well, even if the VHS isn't natively mono, cheaper VCR's are so your problem is solved.
Matt, the mono mix is not, as you seem to assume, a fold-down of the stereo mix, it's a separate mix that was done for last, contained variations and was also considered "definitive". Read all about it here: http://savestarwars.com/theatricalaudioresources.html