Album value
Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited.
First-press value.
Dylan's sixth LP, released August 1965 on Columbia — his transition from folk to electric. The 1965 first-press shipped on the Columbia two-eye label (a transitional design between six-eye and 360 Sound). Both mono and stereo first-presses are collected.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1965. The US first-press shipped on the Columbia two-eye label.
- US stereo catalog: CS 9189
- US mono catalog: CL 2389
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1965 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal — by 1967 the design shifted to the 360 Sound stereo era
- Stereo CS 9189 trades higher than mono CL 2389 — common for Dylan in the post-Freewheelin' era
- Original sleeve has the classic Daniel Kramer portrait with the Triumph Trophy shirt — reissues sometimes vary the crop
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 |
|---|---|
| 1965 first-press (NM) | $80–250 |
| 1965 first-press (VG+) | $40–100 |
| Sealed authenticated original | $400–1,200 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $20–40 |
What pushes to the top: Stereo two-eye Columbia with NM sleeve and original inner.
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 9189 (or CL 2389 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 9189 for stereo, CL 2389 for mono), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1965 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal — by 1967 the design shifted to the 360 Sound stereo era.
Stereo two-eye Columbia with NM sleeve and original inner brings the top of the NM range, typically $80–250. Authenticated sealed first-press copies reach $400–1,200 when verified by Heritage Auctions or a specialist dealer.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Highway 61 Revisited reissues from later decades trade at $20–40 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
It depends on the album. For Highway 61 Revisited, 1965 Columbia two-eye label is the first-press signal — by 1967 the design shifted to the 360 Sound stereo era.
Free to startNo adsPrivate by defaultCloud syncBuilt for iOS