Album value
Queen — Queen II.
First-press value.
Queen's second album, released March 8, 1974 in the UK on EMI and in the US on Elektra. The sides are labeled Side White and Side Black, and Mick Rock's front cover photo was reused in the "Bohemian Rhapsody" video. US originals usually sell for $15 to $20; the UK first pressing is the more valuable copy.
01
The first-press, by the numbers
Released 1974. The US first-press shipped on the Elektra butterfly label (15 Columbus Circle address).
- US stereo catalog: EKS-75082
- UK first-press: EMI (UK) EMA 767
Compare this copy with the artist's other collectible originals. See the Queen vinyl value profile.
02
How to confirm a first-press
Three things separate an original from a later reissue beyond the catalog number.
- US originals use Elektra's butterfly label with the 15 Columbus Circle address
- The US jacket is a gatefold with a custom printed inner sleeve carrying the lyrics
- US runouts are etched EKS 75082 with CSM (Santa Maria) or CTH (Terre Haute) and a lacquer date of 3-12-74 or 3-13-74
- A 1976 Specialty Records repress has an SRC stamp and a 5-10-76 date on side A
- UK first pressings print "℗ 1974 Trident Audio Productions Ltd." at the top of both labels, above the title
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 |
|---|---|
| 1974 first-press (NM) | $30–$60 |
| 1974 first-press (VG+) | $12–$25 |
| Reissue (any later catalog), NM | $20–$40 |
What pushes to the top: UK EMI first pressing with the Trident line at the top of the labels; on the US side, a clean butterfly-label gatefold with its lyric inner 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 Elektra butterfly label (15 Columbus Circle address) design. Confirm the catalog number on the label matches EKS-75082. 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.
1975 · Elektra butterfly label
Queen — A Night at the Opera
1975 first press: $15–$30 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1977 · Elektra (custom album labels)
Queen — News of the World
1977 first press: $10–$18 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressing
1974 · Columbia
Aerosmith — Get Your Wings
1974 first press: $7–$14 in VG+ condition.
Check this pressingA few questions
The ones that come up.
Check the label design (Elektra butterfly label (15 Columbus Circle address)), the catalog number (EKS-75082), and the matrix runout etched in the dead wax. All three need to line up for a confirmed first-press. US originals use Elektra's butterfly label with the 15 Columbus Circle address.
UK EMI first pressing with the Trident line at the top of the labels; on the US side, a clean butterfly-label gatefold with its lyric inner sleeve brings the top of the NM range, typically $30–$60.
Often not by much. Queen II reissues trade at $20–$40 per NM copy, against $30–$60 for a near-mint first pressing. A worn original can sell for less than a clean reissue, so condition matters as much as which pressing it is.
Queen II was issued in stereo only as a first-press. The EKS-75082 pressing is the reference.
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