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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Tales of Southern Rivers by Zane Grey (Harper & Brothers, 1924) is identified by: Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-Y (H = August month of printing, Y = 1924 year) on the copyright page (verso of title). True first US edition (angling).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-Y (H = August month of printing, Y = 1924 year) on the copyright page (verso of title)
- Green cloth with pictorial pastedown; frontispiece, illustrations and plates
- Issued in a dust jacket
- Fishing nonfiction
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1924 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-Y (H = August month… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Harper & Brothers first edition, first printing: Harper letter code H-Y (H = August month of printing, Y = 1924 year) on the copyright page (verso of title). Green cloth with pictorial pastedown; frontispiece, illustrations and plates. Issued in a dust jacket. Fishing nonfiction.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition (angling).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The record's code 'X-Y' is incorrect: X is not a valid Harper month letter. The verified first-printing code is H-Y (August 1924); the year letter Y = 1924 is correct.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Tales of Southern Rivers* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/tales-of-southern-rivers
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.