# Is "The Tale of Benjamin Bunny" by Beatrix Potter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter (Frederick Warne & Co., 1904) is identified by: First edition, first issue, Frederick Warne & Co., September 1904. Frederick Warne (London) is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first issue, Frederick Warne & Co., September 1904
- The recognized first-issue textual points are both on page 15: the word spelled 'muffatees' (the misspelling was altered in later printings) and the word 'we' set in Roman rather than italic type
- Original grey paper-covered boards printed in dark green with a color illustration mounted on the front board; frontispiece and color illustrations throughout
- Publisher imprint reads Frederick Warne & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Beatrix Potter |
| Publisher | Frederick Warne & Co. |
| Year | 1904 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition, first issue, Frederick Warne & Co., September 1904 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first issue, Frederick Warne & Co., September 1904. The recognized first-issue textual points are both on page 15: the word spelled 'muffatees' (the misspelling was altered in later printings) and the word 'we' set in Roman rather than italic type. Original grey paper-covered boards printed in dark green with a color illustration mounted on the front board; frontispiece and color illustrations throughout.

## Is this the true first?
Frederick Warne (London) is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints followed within weeks of first publication. The advertised Potter title list lengthens in later printings, and a printed ISBN or modern price indicates a much later reprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tale of Benjamin Bunny* by Beatrix Potter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tale-of-benjamin-bunny
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.