Album value
The Beatles — Abbey Road.
First-press value.
Released in the US on October 1, 1969, as Apple SO-383, and certified 12× Platinum by the RIAA. Original US copies are common and most sell for under $30. Cover cropping and two lines of label text separate a 1969 copy from the 1970s represses that look nearly the same.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1969. The US first-press shipped on the Apple, manufactured by Capitol label.
- US stereo catalog: SO-383
- UK first-press: Apple (UK) PCS 7088
- RIAA certification: 12× Platinum (US)
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Apple Records identification guide.
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the The Beatles vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- Early US back covers and side-2 labels do not list 'Her Majesty'; some 1969 copies and later represses add it
- 1969 front covers show the full photo, with the square metal street access lid at the bottom edge; 1970s represses use a cropped photo
- First-run side-2 labels read 'Mfd. by Apple Records, Inc.'; a 1974 repress reads 'Mfd. by Apple' on both sides, and the 1976 orange and 1978 purple labels are Capitol reissues
- UK first pressings (PCS 7088) have a misaligned Apple logo on the back cover and no 'Her Majesty' on the side-2 label
The matrix runout etched in the dead wax is the definitive identifier when label and catalog number both look era-correct.
03
What it's worth
Recent sold-listing ranges. Pressing, condition, and current market all move the number.
| Pressing & condition | Recent sold |
|---|---|
| 1969 first-press (NM) | $40–$125 |
| 1969 first-press (VG+) | $15–$35 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $12–$25 |
What pushes to the top: Uncropped 1969 cover with 'Her Majesty' missing from both the back cover and the side-2 label, in NM.
Sources: Discogs sold listings (90-day window), Popsike.com auction archive, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide.
04
If you have one
Pull the record. Check the label first against the Apple, manufactured by Capitol design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches SO-383. Then check the matrix runout in the dead wax. All three lining up is the first-press confirmation.
Or scan with Crown Vinyl. The app reads the label, catalog number, and matrix runout from a single photograph, returns the exact pressing, and pulls a current value from recent real sales. Free on the App Store.
Keep checking the shelf
More first pressings worth knowing.
Nearby years, matching labels, and more records by the same artist.
1968 · Apple, manufactured by Capitol
The Beatles — The Beatles (White Album)
1968 first press: $25–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1964 · Capitol black rainbow-rim
The Beatles — Meet the Beatles!
1964 first press: $15–$50 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1964 · Vee-Jay black with rainbow colorband, oval logo
The Beatles — Introducing... The Beatles
1964 first press: $40–$120 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Apple, manufactured by Capitol), the catalog number (SO-383), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. Early US back covers and side-2 labels do not list 'Her Majesty'; some 1969 copies and later represses add it.
Uncropped 1969 cover with 'Her Majesty' missing from both the back cover and the side-2 label, in NM brings the top of the NM range, typically $40–$125.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Abbey Road reissues from later decades trade at $12–$25 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Abbey Road was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The SO-383 pressing is the reference.
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