Album value
Black Sabbath — Paranoid.
First-press value.
Black Sabbath's second album, released September 1970. The UK Vertigo first-press on the famous black-and-silver swirl label is the audiophile reference and one of the most collected 70s rock LPs. US Warner Bros. first-pressings trade lower but are still well-collected.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1970. The US first-press shipped on the Warner Bros. green-and-yellow label.
- US stereo catalog: WS 1887
- UK first-press: Vertigo swirl (UK) 6360 011
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- 1970 UK Vertigo swirl label (the spinning black-and-silver disc design) is the first-press signal — Vertigo replaced the swirl in 1973
- 1970 US Warner Bros. green-and-yellow label is the US first-press; by 1972 Warner had shifted to the burbank palm-tree design
- Original UK sleeve has the swordsman photograph on heavier card stock with deeper-saturation color than reissues
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 |
|---|---|
| 1970 first-press (NM) | $80–300 |
| 1970 first-press (VG+) | $40–120 |
| Sealed authenticated original | $600–2,000 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $20–40 |
What pushes to the top: UK Vertigo swirl first-press with intact sleeve.
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 Warner Bros. green-and-yellow design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches WS 1887. 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 (Warner Bros. green-and-yellow), the catalog number (WS 1887), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. 1970 UK Vertigo swirl label (the spinning black-and-silver disc design) is the first-press signal — Vertigo replaced the swirl in 1973.
UK Vertigo swirl first-press with intact sleeve brings the top of the NM range, typically $80–300. Authenticated sealed first-press copies reach $600–2,000 when verified by Heritage Auctions or a specialist dealer.
Reissues use different label designs, different mastering, and were pressed in far larger quantities. Paranoid 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.
Paranoid was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The WS 1887 pressing is the reference.
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