Album value
Johnny Cash — At Folsom Prison.
First-press value.
Recorded January 1968 at California's Folsom State Prison and released May 1968 on Columbia. The 1968 first-press on the Columbia two-eye label is the collector reference. The album moved more than 3 million copies and is RIAA-certified 3× Platinum.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1968. The US first-press shipped on the Columbia two-eye label.
- US stereo catalog: CS 9639
- US mono catalog: CL 2839
- RIAA certification: 3× Platinum (US)
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1968 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal
- Stereo CS 9639 was the larger pressing and trades slightly lower than the mono CL 2839
- Original 1968 sleeve has the gatefold with concert photos on the inner panels — reissues sometimes use a different photo layout
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 |
|---|---|
| 1968 first-press (NM) | $40–120 |
| 1968 first-press (VG+) | $20–50 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $15–30 |
What pushes to the top: Mono two-eye first-press with intact gatefold photos.
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 Columbia two-eye design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches CS 9639 (or CL 2839 for mono). 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.
A few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Columbia two-eye), the catalog number (CS 9639 for stereo, CL 2839 for mono), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1968 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal.
Mono two-eye first-press with intact gatefold photos brings the top of the NM range, typically $40–120.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. At Folsom Prison reissues from later decades trade at $15–30 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
It depends on the album. For At Folsom Prison, Stereo CS 9639 was the larger pressing and trades slightly lower than the mono CL 2839.
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