# Is "The Unspeakable Gentleman" by John P. Marquand a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Unspeakable Gentleman by John P. Marquand (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1922) is identified by: Scribner's seal on the copyright page with "1922" on the title page identifies the first edition; Marquand's debut novel. US first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Scribner's seal on the copyright page with "1922" on the title page identifies the first edition
- Marquand's debut novel
- Do not look for an "A": the Scribner capital-A first-edition code was not used until 1930
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John P. Marquand |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1922 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Scribner's seal on the copyright page with "1922" on the title page identifies the first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Scribner's seal on the copyright page with "1922" on the title page identifies the first edition; Marquand's debut novel. Do not look for an "A": the Scribner capital-A first-edition code was not used until 1930.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the seal and/or note the printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Unspeakable Gentleman* by John P. Marquand a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-unspeakable-gentleman
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.