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Data as of Jun 16, 2026
The Beatles – Please Please Me
1963 · UK · Parlophone · Vinyl LP Mono Album
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Price guide
Estimated market value via Discogs · as of Sep 20, 2026
- MMint
- $598.82
- NMNear Mint
- $535.79
- VG+Very Good Plus
- $409.72
- VGVery Good
- $283.65
- G+Good Plus
- $157.58
- GGood
- $94.55
- FFair
- $63.03
- PPoor
- $31.52
25 copies listed on Discogs from $447.20.
These are reference estimates from Discogs sold/asking data for this exact pressing, not offers and not a guaranteed price. Actual value depends on condition, completeness and current demand. Any active seller offers on this page are listed separately above.
Offers
New to condition grades like NM or VG? Read our vinyl grading guide →
Pressing identification
Match these against your copy to confirm the exact pressing.
- Runout — side A
- XEX.421XEX 421-1N O 1XEX 421-1N P 1XEX 421-1N T 1XEX 421-1N GO 2XEX 421-1N GT 2XEX 421-1N GR 1XEX 421-1N AXEX 421-1N T
- Runout — side B
- XEX.422XEX 422-1N M 1XEX 422-1N L 1XEX 422-1N G G 1XEX 422-1N H 1XEX 422-1N GL 1 2XEX 422-1N T 1 1XEX 422-1N GR 1
- Rights society
- BIEM, NCB, Mecolico
- Other
- Z M T(Tax code, embossed)
- Record Company
- E.M.I. Records Limited
- Record Company
- The Parlophone Co. Ltd.
- Printed By
- Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd.
- Made By
- Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd.
- Pressed By
- The Gramophone Co. Ltd.
Specifications
- Artist
- The Beatles
- Style
- Beat, Rock & Roll
- Year
- 1963
- Label
- Parlophone
- Catalog number
- PMC 1202
- Country
- UK
Tracklist
- A1I Saw Her Standing There2:50
- A2Misery1:44
- A3Anna (Go To Him)2:52
- A4Chains2:20
- A5Boys2:20
- A6Ask Me Why2:20
- A7Please Please Me1:58
- B1Love Me Do2:15
- B2P.S. I Love You2:00
- B3Baby It's You2:29
- B4Do You Want To Know A Secret1:52
- B5A Taste Of Honey1:59
- B6There's A Place1:46
- B7Twist And Shout2:30
- Producer
- George Martin
- Engineer
- Norman Smith
- Photography By
- Angus McBean
About this record
The first UK pressing of Please Please Me arrived with black labels printed in gold—a detail that lasted only weeks before Parlophone switched to yellow print and a redesigned label format mid-1963. This earliest variant, catalogue PMC 1202, credits Dick James Music Co. on four tracks (A1, A2, B4, B6) rather than the Northern Songs publishing that appeared on all subsequent issues.
The dead-wax matrix codes XEX.421 and XEX.422 identify pressings from Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd. or The Gramophone Co. Ltd., both UK plants.
Demand exceeds supply: 5730 collectors want this pressing against 5058 who own one.
What drives its value
The original 1963 UK mono pressing commands a steep condition gradient. A Mint copy reaches 598.82 USD, while a VG+ drops to 409.72 USD and a VG settles at 283.65 USD—each grade marking a sharp market shift.
The lowest asking price across 28 active listings stands at 452.4 USD, indicating most sellers price above VG condition. This first issue—identifiable by gold labels and Dick James credits—trades at a premium over later UK variants with Northern Songs publishing or the 1964 US Vee Jay pressing (VJLP 1062) and the 1975 German Apple reissue (1C 244-04 219).
Rarity and the narrow window of availability (a few weeks only) anchor its value. The want-to-have ratio of 5730 to 5058 reflects sustained collector pursuit despite the 28 copies currently for sale.
How to appraise this pressing
Confirm this pressing by the Parlophone catalogue number PMC 1202 on the spine and label. Examine the label color: genuine first issues display black labels with gold print, not yellow.
Verify the publishing credit on the back cover and inner sleeve—Dick James Mus. Co. appears on tracks A1, A2, B4, and B6 only on the earliest variant.
Check the front cover photo credit: "Photo: Angus McBean" should be positioned at the extreme bottom-right, starting where the 's' of "songs" ends; later sleeves shift this credit approximately 1cm left. The dead-wax runout will show XEX.421 or XEX.422 (or variants XEX 421-1N O 1 and XEX 422-1N M 1), pressed by Ernest J.
Day & Co. Ltd. or The Gramophone Co. Ltd. The 14-track mono LP contains no barcode. Distinguish this from crossover pressings (catalogue 13228368, 13327474, 17928907) that mix Dick James and Northern Songs credits across sides, and from the later all-Northern Songs variant (4061029).
Further reading: grading a record, what makes a pressing valuable.
Listen
Hear the album before you buy.
Official videos via YouTube.
Release notes
This is the very first UK issue, available for just a few weeks and identifiable by: - Black labels with gold print. Later pressings from mid-1963 onwards had black labels with yellow print and a revised label design. - "Dick James Mus. Co." publishing credit on tracks A1, A2, B4 & B6. Subsequent issues credit Northern Songs instead. - The "Photo: Angus McBean" credit on front cover was printed at the extreme bottom-right corner, starting where the 's' of "songs" end (see images). On later sleeves, this credit is printed approximately 1cm further to the left, aligned with the 'g' in "songs".
Other UK black/gold label mono variants: 4061029: Northern Songs Ltd. publishing credit. 13228368: crossover pressing with Northern Songs on Side A and Dick James on Side B, and additional pressing ring. 13327474: crossover pressing with Northern Songs on Side A and Dick James on Side B. No additional pressing ring. 17928907: crossover pressing with Dick James on Side A and Northern Songs on Side B. No additional pressing ring.
Made in Gt. Britain.
Notes sourced from the Discogs database.
Other pressings of this release
Different editions of the same album — pressing decides value.
Frequently asked
What is the catalogue number for the first UK pressing?
PMC 1202, printed on the spine and label. This number identifies all early Parlophone mono variants, though only those with black/gold labels and Dick James publishing credits represent the true first issue released for a few weeks in 1963.
How do I tell this from later UK pressings?
Three visual markers distinguish the first issue: black labels with gold print (not yellow), Dick James Mus. Co. publishing credit on tracks A1, A2, B4, and B6 (later issues credit Northern Songs), and the Angus McBean photo credit positioned at the extreme bottom-right corner of the front cover. Subsequent pressings moved this credit leftward and changed the label design.
What is a VG+ copy worth?
According to the price guide, a VG+ graded copy is valued at 409.72 USD. This represents a significant drop from the 535.79 USD estimate for NM condition, reflecting how sensitive the market is to surface condition on this 1963 pressing.
How many copies are currently on the market?
28 copies are listed for sale across major platforms, with the lowest asking price at 452.4 USD. This modest supply contrasts with the 5730 collectors actively seeking the pressing, indicating sustained demand pressure.
Which pressing plant made this copy?
Either Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd. or The Gramophone Co. Ltd.—both UK plants. The dead-wax matrix codes XEX.421, XEX.422, XEX 421-1N O 1, or XEX 422-1N M 1 will appear in the runout, though neither code alone definitively identifies the plant; cross-reference with label and publishing credits for certainty.