# Is "Jaws" by Peter Benchley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Jaws by Peter Benchley (Doubleday, 1974) is identified by: First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carry Doubleday's printer code '044' (sometimes read 'O44') in the gutter of page 311, the last page of text; the trade binding is black, lettered in silver on the spine, at 311 pages. True first is the US Doubleday edition (Garden City, 1974); the first UK edition (André Deutsch, London, 1974) followed the same year and is collected separately as the UK first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carry Doubleday's printer code '044' (sometimes read 'O44') in the gutter of page 311, the last page of text; the trade binding is black, lettered in silver on the spine, at 311 pages
- The famous jacket is Paul Bacon's design with title lettering by Ray Cruz; the first-state jacket has the price present at the upper corner of the front flap with a 'J.' code printed above it
- Both the copyright-page statement and the page-311 gutter code must be present — neither alone is sufficient
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Benchley |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carry Doubleday's printer code '044' (sometimes read 'O44') in the gutter… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printings state 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carry Doubleday's printer code '044' (sometimes read 'O44') in the gutter of page 311, the last page of text; the trade binding is black, lettered in silver on the spine, at 311 pages. The famous jacket is Paul Bacon's design with title lettering by Ray Cruz; the first-state jacket has the price present at the upper corner of the front flap with a 'J.' code printed above it. Both the copyright-page statement and the page-311 gutter code must be present — neither alone is sufficient.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the US Doubleday edition (Garden City, 1974); the first UK edition (André Deutsch, London, 1974) followed the same year and is collected separately as the UK first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions closely mimic the trade issue but use cheaper, lighter materials, lack the stated 'First Edition' and the '044' gutter code, and were issued in unpriced jackets. Clipped jackets are sometimes used to disguise club copies, so insist on the flap price being present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Jaws* by Peter Benchley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/jaws
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.