The points of issue
First edition carries the Harper code 'M-M' on the copyright page (the Harper letter code denotes month/year: M-M = 1912) with the 'Published [date]' line; frontispiece illustration. No number line (period). Bound in red/maroon cloth with pictorial stamping; first-issue jacket (when present) is exceedingly rare.
Is this the true first?
US Harper & Brothers (1912) is the true first—the archetypal Western novel. The Harper alphabetical date code on the copyright page is the standard identifying point; 'M-M' = 1912 first printing. Jacketed first-printing copies are very rare and valuable.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Harper printings show advanced date codes (e.g., later letter pairs) on the copyright page; Grosset & Dunlap and other reprint-house editions are common, cheaply bound, and carry their own imprint—obvious reprints. The decisive check is the Harper 'M-M' code.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Riders of the Purple Sage a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition carries the Harper code 'M-M' on the copyright page (the Harper letter code denotes month/year: M-M = 1912) with the 'Published [date]' line; frontispiece illustration. No number line (period). Bound in red/maroon cloth with pictorial stamping; first-issue jacket (when present) is exceedingly rare.
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 Harper & Brothers (1912) is the true first—the archetypal Western novel. The Harper alphabetical date code on the copyright page is the standard identifying point; 'M-M' = 1912 first printing. Jacketed first-printing copies are very rare and valuable.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Harper printings show advanced date codes (e.g., later letter pairs) on the copyright page; Grosset & Dunlap and other reprint-house editions are common, cheaply bound, and carry their own imprint—obvious reprints. The decisive check is the Harper 'M-M' code.
I have a first edition of Riders of the Purple Sage — 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.