The points of issue
Copyright page states 'Published by the Viking Press in April 1953' with no further printings listed. Octavo, bound in pin-stripe paper-covered boards over a grey cloth backstrip (nervy vertical red and yellow lines on a pale grey ground), spine lettered in red, top edge stained red. Dust jacket photograph by Gjon Mili.
Is this the true first?
US Viking 1953 is the true first (precedes the UK Cresset Press 1954). Signed copies are author-inscribed trade copies.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Viking printings add printing history to the copyright page; the first issue carries only the 'April 1953' statement. No prominent book-club edition is the collecting target.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Crucible a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Copyright page states 'Published by the Viking Press in April 1953' with no further printings listed. Octavo, bound in pin-stripe paper-covered boards over a grey cloth backstrip (nervy vertical red and yellow lines on a pale grey ground), spine lettered in red, top edge stained red. Dust jacket photograph by Gjon Mili.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. US Viking 1953 is the true first (precedes the UK Cresset Press 1954). Signed copies are author-inscribed trade copies.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Viking printings add printing history to the copyright page; the first issue carries only the 'April 1953' statement. No prominent book-club edition is the collecting target.
I have a first edition of The Crucible — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.