How many copies of the A&M pressing exist?

Approximately 9 genuine copies survive from 25,000 originally pressed. Most were destroyed when A&M dropped the band.

How is the A&M version different from the Virgin Records version?

The Virgin version was widely released and is common. The A&M pressing was never officially distributed - it was withdrawn and almost entirely destroyed, making it one of the rarest records in the world.

Sex Pistols God Save the Queen A&M Value Guide (2026)

Name: Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen / No Feeling (A&M Records AMS 7284)
Brand: A&M Records

Vinyl Records

On March 10, 1977, the Sex Pistols signed to A&M Records in a ceremony outside Buckingham Palace. Within days, the label dropped them. A&M had pressed approximately 25,000 copies of the single "God Save the Queen" backed with "No Feeling." Almost all were destroyed. About nine genuine copies are known to survive. The most recent sale brought $30,000 at auction in 2024. It's one of the rarest records in the world - and the ultimate punk rock collectible.

Quick Value Summary


Item	Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen / No Feeling (A&M Records)
Year	1977
Label	A&M Records (AMS 7284)
Category	Vinyl Records
Format	7" 45 RPM single
Produced by	Chris Thomas (A-side), Dave Goodman (B-side)
Condition Range
Any genuine copy	$13,000 – $30,000
Record Sale	$30,000 (auction, 2024)
Previous Sales	£15,652 (Wessex Auctions, 2019, mint w/ provenance); £13,000 (BBC-reported, near mint)
Known Survivors	~9 copies
Rarity	Extremely Rare

The Story

The Sex Pistols were chaos incarnate. They'd already been dropped by EMI after causing outrage on a live TV appearance. A&M saw an opportunity - or thought they did. The signing ceremony outside Buckingham Palace was pure punk theater. The press ate it up.

Then reality set in. Reports of the band's behavior at A&M's offices - and pressure from other A&M artists who didn't want to share a label with the Pistols - made the deal untenable. A&M terminated the contract within days.

By then, the factory had already pressed 25,000 copies of the "God Save the Queen" single. A&M ordered them destroyed. Workers loaded the records into bins. But a handful escaped - slipped out by employees, rescued before the crusher. Those survivors became some of the most sought-after records in music history.

The Sex Pistols later signed with Virgin Records, who released "God Save the Queen" to enormous controversy during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee celebrations. That Virgin pressing sold millions. But the A&M pressing - the one that was never supposed to reach the public - is the one collectors chase.

An auctioneer described it as "a holy grail item" in the collecting world. With only about nine known copies, every sale is an event.

How to Identify It

Key Physical Markers

This is a standard 7-inch 45 RPM single. What makes it identifiable:

A&M Records company paper sleeve - The single should be in an A&M sleeve, not a Virgin or generic sleeve.
Catalog number: AMS 7284 on the label.
A-side: "God Save the Queen" (produced by Chris Thomas)
B-side: "No Feeling" (produced by Dave Goodman)

Label Details

Serrated anti-slip necklace on the label - a ring of small serrations around the label edge, typical of A&M pressings from this era.
Matrix numbers: AMS-7284-A-2 (Side A) and AMS-7284-B-1 (Side B)
B-side runout: The number 7284 appears written twice, one above the other. This is a specific identifier for this pressing.

What Disqualifies a Copy

Virgin Records label - That's the common, later release. Worth much less.
Wrong matrix numbers - Must match AMS-7284-A-2 / AMS-7284-B-1 exactly.
Missing A&M sleeve - While the record could theoretically survive without its original sleeve, the sleeve is part of the provenance.
Poor print quality on label - Counterfeits exist. Compare against known genuine examples.

Value

With only about nine copies in existence, normal pricing conventions don't apply. Every genuine copy is valuable regardless of condition.

Sale	Year	Condition	Price
Auction	2024	Not specified	$30,000
Wessex Auctions	2019	Mint, with A&M correspondence and provenance	£15,652
BBC-reported sale	-	Near mint, "never been played"	£13,000

The trend is upward. As punk collecting matures and the historical significance of this record becomes more widely recognized, prices are likely to continue climbing. There simply aren't enough copies to satisfy demand.

Provenance matters enormously. The 2019 Wessex sale included original A&M correspondence and documentation. That paper trail - proving the record's journey from A&M to the current owner - added significant value and confidence.

Authentication & Fakes

The Stakes

A record worth $30,000 with only nine known copies is a prime target for counterfeiting. Authentication is critical.

What Fakes Look Like

Reproductions with incorrect pressing details. The matrix numbers, runout groove etchings, and label printing quality must match known genuine examples exactly.
Virgin pressings relabeled as A&M. The vinyl itself would have different matrix numbers and pressing characteristics.
Fantasy fakes - Records pressed from scratch to mimic the A&M original. Weight, vinyl composition, label stock, and pressing quality will all differ from a genuine 1977 A&M pressing.

How to Protect Yourself

Provenance is everything. Where did this copy come from? Can the seller trace it back to A&M or to a known previous owner? Documentation and history dramatically increase confidence.
Compare every detail against photographs of confirmed genuine copies. Matrix numbers, label printing, groove characteristics, and sleeve printing quality.
Expert authentication. For a purchase in this range, consult with punk memorabilia experts or established auction houses before committing.
If in doubt, walk away. There are only nine of these. The odds that an unauthenticated one surfaces from a random seller are vanishingly small.

Where to Sell

If you have a genuine A&M pressing of "God Save the Queen":

Specialist music auction houses - Wessex Auctions handled a record sale. They understand provenance and punk memorabilia.
Heritage Auctions - Broad collector base with a strong music memorabilia department.
Private sale through authenticated dealers - For discretion and speed.

Do not sell this on eBay or Discogs. The value and rarity demand a venue with authentication credibility and access to serious collectors. Provenance documentation is as important as the record itself.

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Common Questions

How much is the Sex Pistols A&M "God Save the Queen" worth?

The most recent sale was $30,000 at auction in 2024. Previous sales include £15,652 (mint with provenance, 2019) and £13,000 (near mint, BBC-reported). With only about nine known copies, any genuine example is extraordinarily valuable.

How many copies exist?

Approximately nine genuine copies are known to survive from the 25,000 originally pressed. Most of the pressing run was destroyed when A&M dropped the band. The survivors were likely rescued by A&M employees before destruction.

How is this different from the Virgin Records version?

The Virgin Records "God Save the Queen" is the version most people know - it was released widely and sold millions. The A&M pressing predates the Virgin release and was never officially distributed. It's a withdrawn, almost-destroyed record. The Virgin version is common and worth a few dollars. The A&M version is one of the rarest records in the world.

Why did A&M drop the Sex Pistols?

The band's outrageous behavior at A&M's offices, combined with pressure from other A&M artists who objected to being on the same label, made the deal untenable. A&M terminated the contract within days of the signing ceremony.

Could more copies surface?

It's possible but unlikely. After nearly 50 years, most surviving copies have probably been identified. If a new copy surfaced with verifiable provenance, it would be a major event in music collecting.