# Is "The American Claimant" by Mark Twain a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The American Claimant by Mark Twain (Charles L. Webster & Company, 1892) is identified by: First edition points require matching 1892 dates on both the title page and copyright page, with no printing statement indicating a later impression (BAL 3434).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition points require matching 1892 dates on both the title page and copyright page, with no printing statement indicating a later impression (BAL 3434)
- Collation runs [i]-xvi, 17-277pp with eight pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear
- Bound in pale olive-green cloth with gilt lettering and pictorial stamping on the spine and front cover; illustrated throughout by Dan Beard
- Publisher imprint reads Charles L. Webster & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mark Twain |
| Publisher | Charles L. Webster & Company |
| Year | 1892 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition points require matching 1892 dates on both the title page and copyright page, with no printing statement indicating a later… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition points require matching 1892 dates on both the title page and copyright page, with no printing statement indicating a later impression (BAL 3434). Collation runs [i]-xvi, 17-277pp with eight pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear. Bound in pale olive-green cloth with gilt lettering and pictorial stamping on the spine and front cover; illustrated throughout by Dan Beard.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The American Claimant* by Mark Twain a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-american-claimant
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.