The points of issue
First impression published 20 October 1955, the latest and scarcest of the three volumes in first impression. The dust jacket is priced 21s net and the two folding maps are present. Note that the state designation is contested: an early view (the original Hammond and Anderson definition) treated the presence of a signature mark 4 and slipped or sagging type on page 49 as a first-state point, but Hammond subsequently revised this so that the slipped type on page 49 is now regarded as a later-state feature rather than a first-state point. Because the point is disputed among bibliographers, it should not be used on its own to confirm a first state.
Is this the true first?
The UK Allen & Unwin printing is the true first. The US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1956.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are identified by impression notices on the copyright verso. Book club sets are not firsts.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Return of the King a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First impression published 20 October 1955, the latest and scarcest of the three volumes in first impression. The dust jacket is priced 21s net and the two folding maps are present. Note that the state designation is contested: an early view (the original Hammond and Anderson definition) treated the presence of a signature mark 4 and slipped or sagging type on page 49 as a first-state point, but Hammond subsequently revised this so that the slipped type on page 49 is now regarded as a later-state feature rather than a first-state point. Because the point is
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. The UK Allen & Unwin printing is the true first. The US Houghton Mifflin edition followed in 1956.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions are identified by impression notices on the copyright verso. Book club sets are not firsts.
I have a first edition of The Return of the King — 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.