# Is "Tales of Fishes" by Zane Grey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales of Fishes by Zane Grey (Harper & Brothers, 1919) is identified by: Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code F-T (F = June month of printing, T = 1919 year) in small type at the foot of the copyright page. True first US edition (Grey's angling nonfiction); the fishing titles form a distinct collecting area.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code F-T (F = June month of printing, T = 1919 year) in small type at the foot of the copyright page
- Photographic plates
- Issued in a dust jacket
- Grey's first big-game-fishing book
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1919 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code F-T (F = June month… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code F-T (F = June month of printing, T = 1919 year) in small type at the foot of the copyright page. Photographic plates. Issued in a dust jacket. Grey's first big-game-fishing book.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition (Grey's angling nonfiction); the fishing titles form a distinct collecting area.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The record's code 'S-T' is incorrect: S is not a valid Harper month letter (months run A-M, skipping J). The verified first-printing code is F-T (June 1919); the year letter T = 1919 is correct. Later printings carry different codes (for example B-U seen on a later state).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales of Fishes* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-of-fishes
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.