Is My Money: A Suicide Note a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Jonathan Cape, London, 1984 (ISBN 0-224-02276-8)
• First edition, first printing, with no later-impression statement on the verso of the title leaf
• Bound in black cloth boards with bright gilt lettering to the spine, approximately 368 pages
• The original dust jacket carries its printed price on the front flap (present rather than clipped is preferred, though clipping does not change the edition) and bears a youthful photograph of Martin Amis to the rear panel

How Jonathan Cape marked a first edition

• First printings state "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]" on the copyright page with NO additional impression lines and traditionally NO number line
• Later printings noted by added lines (e.g. 'Second impression [year]', 'Reprinted...') — their presence disqualifies a first

Full Jonathan Cape 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. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. 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.
6. 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 Jonathan Cape London 1984 printing is the true first; Viking New York issued the first US edition in 1985. Confirm the Cape imprint, the 1984 date, and the London place of publication to distinguish the true first.P-021014

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

Later impressions are stated on the verso; the US edition is dated 1985 and carries the Viking imprint. Book club editions lack the priced Cape jacket and are typically distinguished by a blindstamp or reduced quality of boards.P-021015

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Money: A Suicide Note a first edition?

A first edition of Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis (Jonathan Cape) is identified by: Jonathan Cape, London, 1984 (ISBN 0-224-02276-8).

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 Jonathan Cape London 1984 printing is the true first; Viking New York issued the first US edition in 1985.

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

Later impressions are stated on the verso; the US edition is dated 1985 and carries the Viking imprint. Book club editions lack the priced Cape jacket and are typically distinguished by a blindstamp or reduced quality of boards.

I have a first edition of Money: A Suicide Note — 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.