The points of issue
The signed limited edition of 1930 precedes the Faber trade edition. The limitation totaled 600 copies, all signed by Eliot and numbered: 400 copies for The Fountain Press in America and 200 copies for Faber in Britain. The true first is identified by the signed limitation leaf. The Faber trade edition, also 1930, follows and lacks the signature and limitation.
Is this the true first?
The 600-copy signed limited edition (1930, split between the American Fountain Press issue and the British Faber issue) precedes the Faber trade edition. It is inaccurate to call the limited a purely US Fountain Press book: the limitation was shared, with 400 copies for America and 200 for Britain, all signed.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. The trade edition is distinguished from the limited by the absence of the signed, numbered limitation leaf.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Ash-Wednesday a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The signed limited edition of 1930 precedes the Faber trade edition. The limitation totaled 600 copies, all signed by Eliot and numbered: 400 copies for The Fountain Press in America and 200 copies for Faber in Britain. The true first is identified by the signed limitation leaf. The Faber trade edition, also 1930, follows and lacks the signature and limitation.
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 600-copy signed limited edition (1930, split between the American Fountain Press issue and the British Faber issue) precedes the Faber trade edition. It is inaccurate to call the limited a purely US Fountain Press book: the limitation was shared, with 400 copies for America and 200 for Britain,
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book club edition. The trade edition is distinguished from the limited by the absence of the signed, numbered limitation leaf.
I have a first edition of Ash-Wednesday — 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.