Is My The Silmarillion a First Edition?

The points of issue

• UK first: the copyright page states First published in 1977 with no later printing line
• The folding map is present in a rear pocket
• Green cloth with a gilt device
• Dust jacket art is by Tolkien, the white emblem on a dark ground

How George Allen & Unwin marked a first edition

• First editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in [Year]" on the copyright page (frequently with the printer named), later printings noted with added impression lines
• First printing = the 'First published' statement with NO subsequent-impression notation

Full George Allen & Unwin 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. Verify this is the UK true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
4. 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.
5. 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?

Both the UK Allen & Unwin and US Houghton Mifflin editions appeared in 1977. Precedence is disputed: the US Houghton Mifflin printing is reported to have been released in August 1977, slightly ahead of the UK Allen & Unwin publication in September 1977, so the US edition is sometimes argued to be the true first. A de luxe limited issue signed by Christopher Tolkien also exists.P-012863

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The US book club edition lacks a price on the jacket flap and typically shows a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and may state Book Club Edition. Science Fiction Book Club printings are common.P-012864

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Silmarillion a first edition?

A first edition of The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (ed. Christopher Tolkien) (George Allen & Unwin) is identified by: UK first: the copyright page states First published in 1977 with no later printing line.

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. Both the UK Allen & Unwin and US Houghton Mifflin editions appeared in 1977.

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

The US book club edition lacks a price on the jacket flap and typically shows a blind-stamped dot on the rear board, and may state Book Club Edition. Science Fiction Book Club printings are common.

I have a first edition of The Silmarillion — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap — an unclipped, priced jacket matters. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and use the free First Edition Checker to decode the printing. To sell, the author’s collecting guide covers the market. And if you are clearing books in the Albuquerque area, the New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies are identified rather than discarded.

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.