# Is "Big Money" by P.G. Wodehouse a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Big Money by P.G. Wodehouse (Doubleday, Doran, 1931) is identified by: US Doubleday, Doran first printing (New York, 30 January 1931), which precedes the UK Herbert Jenkins edition (20 March 1931). US Doubleday, Doran is the true first (30 January 1931); the UK Herbert Jenkins edition followed (20 March 1931).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Doubleday, Doran first printing (New York, 30 January 1931), which precedes the UK Herbert Jenkins edition (20 March 1931)
- Per Doubleday, Doran practice of the period, the true first states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, with no such statement on later printings; bound in orange cloth with rough-cut/deckled edges, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket (frequently absent on surviving copies)
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday, Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Doubleday, Doran |
| Year | 1931 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Doubleday, Doran first printing (New York, 30 January 1931), which precedes the UK Herbert Jenkins edition (20 March 1931) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Doubleday, Doran first printing (New York, 30 January 1931), which precedes the UK Herbert Jenkins edition (20 March 1931). Per Doubleday, Doran practice of the period, the true first states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, with no such statement on later printings; bound in orange cloth with rough-cut/deckled edges, and issued in a pictorial dust jacket (frequently absent on surviving copies).

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday, Doran is the true first (30 January 1931); the UK Herbert Jenkins edition followed (20 March 1931).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Big Money* by P.G. Wodehouse a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/big-money
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.