A rare version of Sex Pistols God Save The Queen has sold for a record £24,000.
The punk band staged a ‘signing ceremony’ in front of Buckingham Palace.
The publicity around it caused so much controversy that A&M Records dropped them.
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All the copies of the 1977 single were thought to have been destroyed.
It later emerged that between 13 and 20 copies exist and they have long been considered a holy grail item amongst both vinyl collectors and punk enthusiasts.
One sold in 2019 for a then world record of £16,400.
But now another has been bought for £24,000 after it went under the hammer by Wessex Auction Rooms, in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
It was snapped up by an American collector on Friday (5 Jul).
The seller said: “As I was clearing my desk, having seen the box of Sex Pistols singles in the bottom drawer which had been sitting there since 1977 I thought it might be possible for me to take a few as they could in due course be worth something.
“I asked if I could take some and was ‘yes’.
“The single sold at Wessex Auction Rooms is my last one.
“I had been holding onto it for sentimental reasons but I feel now is the time to part company with it.
“I am concerned it might one day go missing or be damaged.”
Vinyl Record specialist and auctioneer Martin Hughes said “I am fortunate to have handled the sale of a few of these records over the years but the story behind this copy has been fascinating.
“This is a true piece of music history and pop culture history that resonates around the world.”
