Is My Hondo signed first a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1953, issued as Gold Medal number 347
• A true first printing states "First Printing" on the copyright page
• Hondo was a paperback original, released to coincide with the 1953 Warner Bros. film; the pictorial wraps carry film-era art, and later hardcover appearances came after this softcover
• Because Gold Medal wraps are fragile, sharp firsts with a tight spine and bright, unrolled cover are scarce; check the copyright page for the stated first-printing language and confirm the Fawcett Gold Medal imprint rather than a later reprint publisher

How Fawcett Gold Medal marked a first edition

• Gold Medal pioneered the PAPERBACK ORIGINAL — so the Gold Medal paperback is itself the first edition (no prior hardcover) for most of its crime/noir list. Identification centers on first-PRINTING points, not first-editi…
• First printing is identified by the Gold Medal serial number and the copyright-page printing notice: a true first usually has NO 'Second printing'/'Third printing' line; later printings explicitly state the printing and…

Full Fawcett Gold Medal first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. 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.
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?

The true first edition is the 1953 Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (Gold Medal #347, stated First Printing); there is no earlier hardcover.P-019862

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Not applicable as a Book Club Edition in the ordinary sense; later reprints and reissues of the text exist but are not the 1953 Gold Medal first. Use the Gold Medal number and stated First Printing to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.P-019863

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Hondo signed first a first edition?

A first edition of Hondo signed first by Louis L'Amour (Fawcett Gold Medal) is identified by: Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original, 1953, issued as Gold Medal number 347.

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. The true first edition is the 1953 Fawcett Gold Medal paperback original (Gold Medal #347, stated First Printing); there is no earlier hardcover.

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

Not applicable as a Book Club Edition in the ordinary sense; later reprints and reissues of the text exist but are not the 1953 Gold Medal first. Use the Gold Medal number and stated First Printing to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

I have a first edition of Hondo signed first — 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.