The points of issue
Trade first: Scribner's 'A' with 1929 imprint, no disclaimer notice on the copyright page (the disclaimer was added in later printings). Dust jacket without the 'legal' notice. A signed/limited issue of 510 copies was printed on rag paper, signed by Hemingway, in slipcase.
Is this the true first?
The 510-copy signed limited (Scribner's, 1929) precedes/accompanies the trade as the deluxe state and is the apex signed landmark; the trade 'A' first is the open-market true first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later trade printings add the disclaimer paragraph and lose the 'A'; book-club copies are blind-stamped and lack the seal.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Farewell to Arms a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Trade first: Scribner's 'A' with 1929 imprint, no disclaimer notice on the copyright page (the disclaimer was added in later printings). Dust jacket without the 'legal' notice. A signed/limited issue of 510 copies was printed on rag paper, signed by Hemingway, in slipcase.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The 510-copy signed limited (Scribner's, 1929) precedes/accompanies the trade as the deluxe state and is the apex signed landmark; the trade 'A' first is the open-market true first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later trade printings add the disclaimer paragraph and lose the 'A'; book-club copies are blind-stamped and lack the seal.
I have a first edition of A Farewell to Arms — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.