# Is "The Black Cargo" by John P. Marquand a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Black Cargo by John P. Marquand (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925) is identified by: First printing identified by the date on the title page matching the copyright page with no statement of a later printing. US first edition (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1925).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by the date on the title page matching the copyright page with no statement of a later printing
- The Scribner seal is not a dependable first-edition point for this period and should not be relied upon
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John P. Marquand |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1925 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by the date on the title page matching the copyright page with no statement of a later printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by the date on the title page matching the copyright page with no statement of a later printing. The Scribner seal is not a dependable first-edition point for this period and should not be relied upon.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1925). Serialized in the Saturday Evening Post in 1924 before book publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry a printing statement on the copyright page; the seal is not a reliable test of priority.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Black Cargo* by John P. Marquand a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-black-cargo
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.