The points of issue
Three issues. The signed limited edition comprises 50 copies on Japan vellum and 175 numbered copies signed by Cather on Borzoi all-rag paper, bound in marbled paper-covered boards over a green cloth spine with a gilt-stamped black morocco label; the trade issue (about 20,000 copies) carries the Knopf imprint and Borzoi colophon with no later-printing statement. Crane bibliography A16. New Mexico classic.
Is this the true first?
The Knopf 1927 signed limited edition is the prized first state, the 50 Japan-vellum copies being the most desirable, followed by the 175 rag-paper copies; the trade first follows the same year. The UK (Heinemann) edition is a separate first. A separate 'Death Comes for the Archbishop' entry already exists in the dataset; this entry adds the signed-limited states for deeper collectors.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The limited edition is identified by the signed, numbered limitation leaf and the rag or Japan-vellum paper; the trade first by the Borzoi colophon without later-printing notice. Book-club copies lack these points and bear a blind stamp.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Death Comes for the Archbishop (signed/limited and trade first points) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Three issues. The signed limited edition comprises 50 copies on Japan vellum and 175 numbered copies signed by Cather on Borzoi all-rag paper, bound in marbled paper-covered boards over a green cloth spine with a gilt-stamped black morocco label; the trade issue (about 20,000 copies) carries the Knopf imprint and Borzoi colophon with no later-printing statement. Crane bibliography A16. New Mexico classic.
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 Knopf 1927 signed limited edition is the prized first state, the 50 Japan-vellum copies being the most desirable, followed by the 175 rag-paper copies; the trade first follows the same year. The UK (Heinemann) edition is a separate first. A separate 'Death Comes for the Archbishop' entry already
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The limited edition is identified by the signed, numbered limitation leaf and the rag or Japan-vellum paper; the trade first by the Borzoi colophon without later-printing notice. Book-club copies lack these points and bear a blind stamp.
I have a first edition of Death Comes for the Archbishop (signed/limited and trade first points) — 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.