# Is "The Mysterious Rider" by Zane Grey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Mysterious Rider by Zane Grey (Harper & Brothers, 1921) is identified by: Harper & Brothers first edition on the copyright page; the first letter of the code is the printing month and the second is the year letter in Harper's system. True first edition, first printing (world first).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Brothers first edition on the copyright page; the first letter of the code is the printing month and the second is the year letter in Harper's system
- Frontispiece by F. B. Hoffman; issued in a dust jacket
- Dealer-reported first-printing copies show an I-U code (I = September) on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zane Grey |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1921 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Brothers first edition on the copyright page; the first letter of the code is… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Harper & Brothers first edition on the copyright page; the first letter of the code is the printing month and the second is the year letter in Harper's system. Frontispiece by F. B. Hoffman; issued in a dust jacket. Dealer-reported first-printing copies show an I-U code (I = September) on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
True first edition, first printing (world first).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Grosset & Dunlap reprints are common and carry no Harper code; the true first must show the Harper letter code on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Mysterious Rider* by Zane Grey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-mysterious-rider
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.