# Is "The Rolling Stones" by Robert A. Heinlein a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rolling Stones by Robert A. Heinlein (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1952) is identified by: Scribner's first printing is identified by the letter 'A' on the copyright page together with the Scribner seal; the absence of that combination indicates a later printing. The US Charles Scribner's Sons edition (1952) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Scribner's first printing is identified by the letter 'A' on the copyright page together with the Scribner seal; the absence of that combination indicates a later printing
- Octavo, illustrated by Clifford Geary, bound in publisher's green cloth stamped in dark blue
- The first-state dust jacket, with Geary's artwork, carries its printed price on the front flap and should be present and unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert A. Heinlein |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1952 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Scribner's first printing is identified by the letter 'A' on the copyright page together with the Scribner seal; the absence of that… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Scribner's first printing is identified by the letter 'A' on the copyright page together with the Scribner seal; the absence of that combination indicates a later printing. Octavo, illustrated by Clifford Geary, bound in publisher's green cloth stamped in dark blue. The first-state dust jacket, with Geary's artwork, carries its printed price on the front flap and should be present and unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Charles Scribner's Sons edition (1952) is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Scribner printings lack the 'A' and seal on the copyright page; that combination is the reliable first-printing point for this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rolling Stones* by Robert A. Heinlein a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rolling-stones
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.