Here we go — back again with another God Save the Queen single from my collection!
This time, I’m looking at another UK pressing of Virgin VS181. It’s in much better shape than my first one, and I recently got curious about the label details…
🧷 Sleeve & Vinyl Condition
- Sleeve: A few wrinkles and light stains, but still solid considering its age
- Vinyl: Excellent — no scratches or scuffs visible!
🧷 Matrix Numbers
Matrix: VS-181-A-7 / VS-181-B-5
Based on this, it’s clearly a later pressing — likely a 3rd or 4th press.
🧷 Label Text Color Mystery
At first glance, the text looked silver to me — but after checking Discogs and comparing matrix numbers, I realized:
Wait… this might actually be white text!?
🧷 Label Versions Summary
- 1st Press: Blue label with silver text on both sides
- 2nd Press: White text on A-side, silver on B-side
- 3rd Press onward: White text on both sides
🧷 How to Tell Silver vs White Label Text
Here’s what I learned — and what I tested:
✅ 1. Light Reflection
- Silver reflects light and shines ✨
- White has a flat, matte finish
→ Mine? Hmm… slightly shiny, but not clearly silver.
✅ 2. Text Edges
- Silver prints often have slightly fuzzy edges
- White is sharper and cleaner
→ Looks sharp… maybe white?
✅ 3. Contrast with Blue Background
- Silver blends more
- White pops more
→ Still tough to judge…
💢 Final Test: Black & White Photo
Turns out this is the most reliable way: Take a black-and-white photo under natural light and compare.
And the verdict?
💡 It’s white. 100% confirmed by the photo contrast.
I was totally wrong when I posted this as “silver text” on Instagram two years ago 😅
🧷 Thoughts
Maybe the ink aged to look silvery over time? Or maybe my eyes were just off 😅
Either way, I’m glad I finally got it figured out.
🔜 Coming Next:
Next up is the third Virgin single:
Pretty Vacant – Virgin VS184
Can’t wait to dive into it!
byebye 👋
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