The points of issue
The true first is the signed limited edition of 345 copies: 35 copies on Imperial Japan vellum bound in ivory boards with gilt lettering, and 310 copies on Perusia handmade Italian paper in decorative paper boards with a quarter cream-cloth spine and slipcase. All limited copies are signed on a hand-numbered limitation page and the copyright page reads 'Published, September, 1922.' The first trade edition is technically the second printing: its copyright page reads 'Second Printings, September, 1922,' bound in brown cloth with orange titles and a gilt design on the front, with an orange top stain.
Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1922 is the true first. Precedence belongs to the signed limited edition of 345 copies. The trade issue is the second printing and is so stated on its copyright page; its dust jacket, issued in yellow, red, and blue-green variants, is harder to find than the limited edition itself.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Knopf trade printings state higher printing numbers. Grosset & Dunlap reprints exist and are clearly later.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of One of Ours a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The true first is the signed limited edition of 345 copies: 35 copies on Imperial Japan vellum bound in ivory boards with gilt lettering, and 310 copies on Perusia handmade Italian paper in decorative paper boards with a quarter cream-cloth spine and slipcase. All limited copies are signed on a hand-numbered limitation page and the copyright page reads 'Published, September, 1922.' The first trade edition is technically the second printing: its copyright page reads 'Second Printings, September, 1922,' bound in brown cloth with orange titles and a gilt desig
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. US Knopf 1922 is the true first. Precedence belongs to the signed limited edition of 345 copies. The trade issue is the second printing and is so stated on its copyright page; its dust jacket, issued in yellow, red, and blue-green variants, is harder to find than the limited edition itself.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Knopf trade printings state higher printing numbers. Grosset & Dunlap reprints exist and are clearly later.
I have a first edition of One of Ours — 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.