The points of issue
True first: Secker & Warburg August 1945 in pale green cloth, dust jacket priced 6s, the jacket WITHOUT the later second-issue 'plain' design; first-issue jacket has the correct blurb. The 'six shillings' price on the jacket.
Is this the true first?
UK Secker & Warburg 1945 is the true first; US (Harcourt Brace, 1946) follows. The first-issue jacket (priced 6s, correct blurb) versus the second-issue jacket is the key point. Orwell-signed copies are exceedingly rare.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US and book-club editions are not the UK first; second-issue jackets and reprints differ in price and blurb.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Animal Farm a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first: Secker & Warburg August 1945 in pale green cloth, dust jacket priced 6s, the jacket WITHOUT the later second-issue 'plain' design; first-issue jacket has the correct blurb. The 'six shillings' price on the jacket.
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. UK Secker & Warburg 1945 is the true first; US (Harcourt Brace, 1946) follows. The first-issue jacket (priced 6s, correct blurb) versus the second-issue jacket is the key point. Orwell-signed copies are exceedingly rare.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
US and book-club editions are not the UK first; second-issue jackets and reprints differ in price and blurb.
I have a first edition of Animal Farm — 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.