The points of issue
Issued in printed paper wrappers and in cloth. On wrappered copies the front-wrapper date was printed '1885' with the final figure altered by hand to '6' (publication was delayed from December 1885 to January 1886); this altered date is the key first-issue point. The Scribner US printing was about 3,000 copies, only roughly 1,250 of them in cloth.
Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition was issued 5 January 1886, four days before the UK Longmans edition of 9 January 1886, so the US is technically the true first by date — a classic precedence point. Both are collected; wrappered copies are far rarer than cloth.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry a cleanly printed '1886' wrapper date with no altered figure; any reset text or post-1886 advertisements denote reprints. Cloth copies are common, original-wrapper copies far scarcer.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Issued in printed paper wrappers and in cloth. On wrappered copies the front-wrapper date was printed '1885' with the final figure altered by hand to '6' (publication was delayed from December 1885 to January 1886); this altered date is the key first-issue point. The Scribner US printing was about 3,000 copies, only roughly 1,250 of them in cloth.
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 US Scribner edition was issued 5 January 1886, four days before the UK Longmans edition of 9 January 1886, so the US is technically the true first by date — a classic precedence point. Both are collected; wrappered copies are far rarer than cloth.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings carry a cleanly printed '1886' wrapper date with no altered figure; any reset text or post-1886 advertisements denote reprints. Cloth copies are common, original-wrapper copies far scarcer.
I have a first edition of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde — 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.