# Is "The Rhinemann Exchange" by Robert Ludlum a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rhinemann Exchange by Robert Ludlum (Dial Press, 1974) is identified by: True first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing, 1974' stated on the copyright page (a statement, not a number line). US Dial Press edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing, 1974' stated on the copyright page (a statement, not a number line)
- Black cloth stamped in red on the spine; jacket unclipped at the original price
- Later printings are noted on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Dial Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Ludlum |
| Publisher | Dial Press |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing, 1974' stated on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the US Dial Press printing with 'First Printing, 1974' stated on the copyright page (a statement, not a number line). Black cloth stamped in red on the spine; jacket unclipped at the original price. Later printings are noted on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
US Dial Press edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the 'First Printing' statement and carry a blindstamp on the rear board with an unpriced jacket; they are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rhinemann Exchange* by Robert Ludlum a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rhinemann-exchange
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.