Is My History of the Conquest of Peru a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First American edition, New York: Harper & Brothers, June 1847, two octavo volumes collating xl+527pp and xix+547pp; volume one carries an engraved portrait frontispiece of Pizarro and a map of Peru, volume two an engraved portrait frontispiece of Pedro de la Gasca and a facsimile plate of Pizarro's signature
• The established first-issue points are the absence of a period after the word "integrity" on page 467, line 20, of volume II, and the absence of a printer's slug on the copyright page of volume I. Richard Bentley published a London edition also dated 1847, about a month ahead of the Harper printing

How Harper & Brothers marked a first edition

• 1912-1949: month/year letter code on copyright page. Month: A=Jan, B=Feb, C=Mar, D=Apr, E=May, F=Jun, G=Jul, H=Aug, I=Sep, K=Oct, L=Nov, M=Dec (J skipped).
• Year code (J skipped): M=1912, N=1913 ... Z=1925, then A=1926, B=1927 ... Z=1950 (cycles).

Full Harper & Brothers first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
3. Verify this is the American true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

Bentley's London edition appeared in May 1847, roughly a month before Harper's New York edition of June 1847; despite the earlier London date, the Harper printing carrying the established first-issue points (no period after "integrity," vol. II, p. 467; no printer's slug on vol. I copyright page) is the edition identified in standard American references (BAL 16346, Sabin 65272) and the one American dealers and collectors present as the first edition.P-035805

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of History of the Conquest of Peru a first edition?

A first edition of History of the Conquest of Peru by William H. Prescott (Harper & Brothers) is identified by: First American edition, New York: Harper & Brothers, June 1847, two octavo volumes collating xl+527pp and xix+547pp; volume one carries an engraved portrait frontispiece of Pizarro and a map of Peru, volume two an engraved portrait frontispiece of Pedro de la Gasca and a facsimile plate of Pizarro's signature.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. Bentley's London edition appeared in May 1847, roughly a month before Harper's New York edition of June 1847; despite the earlier London date, the Harper printing carrying the established first-issue points (no period after "integrity," vol.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first; look for a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price.

I have a first edition of History of the Conquest of Peru — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.