# Is "The Benson Murder Case" by S. S. Van Dine a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Benson Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926) is identified by: US Scribner first, 1926: the first-printing point for a Scribner book of this date is the Scribner seal on the copyright page together with the 1926 date matching the title page and no indication of a later printing. The US Scribner 1926 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Scribner first, 1926: the first-printing point for a Scribner book of this date is the Scribner seal on the copyright page together with the 1926 date matching the title page and no indication of a later printing
- There is no 'A' on a genuine 1926 first
- The first Philo Vance novel and a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone, in publisher's cloth
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | S. S. Van Dine |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1926 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Scribner first, 1926: the first-printing point for a Scribner book of this date is the Scribner seal on the copyright page together with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Scribner first, 1926: the first-printing point for a Scribner book of this date is the Scribner seal on the copyright page together with the 1926 date matching the title page and no indication of a later printing. There is no 'A' on a genuine 1926 first. The first Philo Vance novel and a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone, in publisher's cloth.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner 1926 is the true first. The UK Ernest Benn edition that followed is a first-thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A later year on the copyright or title page, or the presence of an 'A' (Scribner did not adopt the 'A' first-edition marker until 1930), indicates a later printing. Grosset & Dunlap reprints are common inexpensive reprints.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Benson Murder Case* by S. S. Van Dine a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-benson-murder-case
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.