We've been advised that somebody somewhere has realised the potentially rich market for copies of Pink Floyd's 1967 debut album, Piper At The Gates of Dawn, in original Mono format. This is not surprising considering copies tend to sell for between $200 and $400, on average.

Someone has arranged for the album to be reproduced (illegally) on vinyl, presenting it as factory sealed, and this is currently popping up on eBay and other auction sites claiming to be original...

One of these albums recently sold for $325. Imagine the buyer's feelings, finding out that he bought a $25 reproduction for that huge amount. Our friend Alex, from Sweden (who has alerted us) bought a copy for $25 knowing instantly that the album was a fake.

On seeing the album cover in the flesh, it is plainly visible as a fake. The LP is even (badly) labelled with a sticker saying: "Mono Version" (as seen to the right). If indeed any real factory sealed copies exist, they would be incredibly rare and suitable for sale through one of the major auction houses (Christies, etc.).

Col from our sister site A Fleeting Glimpse has put together a little guide to determining the difference between the REAL original mono copy of the Piper album, and the fake:

- The fake doesn't have a cardboard 'over fold' where the ends of the front cover are folded over to the back
- The fake bears the catalogue number of CX6157 whereas the original is numbered SX6157
- The copyright warning in the bottom right hand corner is missing on the fake
- Perhaps most telling of all: the original had a laminated front cover, with a semi stiff cardboard back cover. The fake is laminated back and front