Album value
The Beatles — Meet the Beatles!.
First-press value.
Capitol's first Beatles LP came out January 20, 1964, and sold more than four million US copies by the end of that year. That is why most copies found today are worth $5 to $20. The money sits in a few early label and jacket states, not in the 1964 date alone.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1964. The US first-press shipped on the Capitol black rainbow-rim label.
- US stereo catalog: ST 2047
- US mono catalog: T 2047
- RIAA certification: 5× Platinum (US)
The center label is only the first clue. See the full Capitol orange and purple labels 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.
- First-state labels print no BMI or ASCAP credit after any song title; the next Scranton labels credit BMI on 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' only and ASCAP on the rest, and later runs add more BMI credits
- Early jackets have no 'Produced by George Martin' credit at the lower left of the back cover and print 'Beatles!' on the front in tan to brown; olive-green 'Beatles!' is a later jacket
- 1964 labels are black with a rainbow colorband and no 'subsidiary' rim text; the 1971 Apple label, 1976 orange label and 1978 purple label are reissues
- Dead wax plant marks: 'IAM' in a triangle means Scranton, a star means Los Angeles
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 |
|---|---|
| 1964 first-press (NM) | $50–$300 |
| 1964 first-press (VG+) | $15–$50 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $12–$25 |
What pushes to the top: First-state stereo ST 2047 with no BMI or ASCAP credits on the labels and no George Martin credit on the jacket.
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 Capitol black rainbow-rim design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches ST 2047 (or T 2047 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.
Keep checking the shelf
More first pressings worth knowing.
Nearby years, matching labels, and more records by the same artist.
1965 · Capitol black rainbow-rim
The Beatles — Rubber Soul
1965 first press: $15–$45 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 pressing
1968 · Apple, manufactured by Capitol
The Beatles — The Beatles (White Album)
1968 first press: $25–$60 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Capitol black rainbow-rim), the catalog number (ST 2047 for stereo, T 2047 for mono), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. First-state labels print no BMI or ASCAP credit after any song title; the next Scranton labels credit BMI on 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' only and ASCAP on the rest, and later runs add more BMI credits.
First-state stereo ST 2047 with no BMI or ASCAP credits on the labels and no George Martin credit on the jacket brings the top of the NM range, typically $50–$300.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Meet the Beatles! 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.
It depends on the album. For Meet the Beatles!, mono and stereo first-presses trade at similar prices in NM condition, with subtle pressing-quality differences favoring one or the other depending on the cut.
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