Is My Copy of The Number of the Beast a First Edition?

The points of issue

• The first U.S. issue from Fawcett Columbine is a trade paperback, not a standard hardcover, so a softcover priced on the rear cover is the ordinary first U.S. printing; a scarce Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue also exists
• The U.K. New English Library hardcover is the first hardcover appearance, with the price printed on the jacket flap
• Both were illustrated by Richard M. Powers

How New English Library marked a first edition

• 1940s onward: may state "First Printed [Year]" on firsts and note subsequent printings (transitional, not universal)

Full New English Library first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
3. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
4. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The first hardcover is the U.K. New English Library edition of 1980. A New English Library paperback was issued at about the same time and is reported to slightly precede the NEL hardcover, so it, not the hardcover, is the earliest appearance in book form. The U.K. and U.S. texts differ somewhat.P-026868

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

U.S. book club hardcovers lack the printed jacket price and are typically identified by a blind stamp on the rear board; they are distinct from the scarce true Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue.P-026869

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Number of the Beast a first edition?

A first edition of The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein (New English Library) is identified by: The first U.S. issue from Fawcett Columbine is a trade paperback, not a standard hardcover, so a softcover priced on the rear cover is the ordinary first U.S. printing; a scarce Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue also exists.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The first hardcover is the U.K. New English Library edition of 1980.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

U.S. book club hardcovers lack the printed jacket price and are typically identified by a blind stamp on the rear board; they are distinct from the scarce true Fawcett Columbine hardcover issue.

I have a first edition of The Number of the Beast — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.