Album value
Led Zeppelin — Untitled (IV).
First-press value.
Led Zeppelin's fourth album was issued in November 1971 with no band name and no title on the cover — only the four runes. The original 1971 Atlantic pressing carries SD 7208 in the matrix; the album has been pressed continuously since and clean first-press copies in NM are scarce.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1971. The US first-press shipped on the Atlantic red-and-plum label.
- US stereo catalog: SD 7208
- UK first-press: Atlantic (UK) 2401 012
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Atlantic red and plum identification guide.
The dead wax carries a second set of clues. Decode the atlantic pressing-plant codes.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1971 Atlantic red-and-plum label is the first-press signal — by 1974 the label shifted to a green-and-red design
- Original inner sleeve has the Stairway to Heaven lyrics printed in calligraphy on heavy stock
- Original matrix runout codes start ST-A-712451 (Side A) and ST-A-712452 (Side B); cuts 1 and 2 are first-press
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 |
|---|---|
| 1971 first-press (NM) | $100–$350 |
| 1971 first-press (VG+) | $50–$150 |
| Sealed authenticated original | $700–$2,000 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $15–$35 |
What pushes to the top: Original inner sleeve intact and unfaded.
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 Atlantic red-and-plum design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches SD 7208. 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.
1970 · Atlantic red-and-plum
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Déjà Vu
1970 first press: $20–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1967 · Atlantic red-and-plum
Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
1967 first press: $30–$80 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1968 · Atlantic red-and-plum
Aretha Franklin — Lady Soul
1968 first press: $20–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Atlantic red-and-plum), the catalog number (SD 7208), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1971 Atlantic red-and-plum label is the first-press signal — by 1974 the label shifted to a green-and-red design.
Original inner sleeve intact and unfaded brings the top of the NM range, typically $100–$350. Authenticated sealed first-press copies reach $700–$2,000 when verified by Heritage Auctions or a specialist dealer.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Untitled (IV) reissues from later decades trade at $15–$35 per NM copy. The first-press premium reflects scarcity, era-authenticity, and collector demand — not the music itself.
Untitled (IV) was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The SD 7208 pressing is the reference.
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