The points of issue
First edition, first state with 1902 on title page and 'Published April, 1902' on the copyright page; later first-edition printings add 'Reprinted' lines (May 1902, etc.). Bound in tan/olive pictorial cloth. Key textual point: certain early-state readings/dedication; the earliest printing has no list of later reprintings on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
US Macmillan (1902) is the true first—the foundational cowboy novel. Precedence among 1902 Macmillan printings is determined by the copyright-page reprint listing: the first printing shows only 'Published April, 1902' with no subsequent reprint dates. Multiple 1902 printings exist, so the reprint list is decisive.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition contemporaneous; the practical confusion is later 1902 Macmillan printings (which list May/June/etc. reprintings) and Grosset & Dunlap reprints. Only the April-1902-only copyright state is the first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first state with 1902 on title page and 'Published April, 1902' on the copyright page; later first-edition printings add 'Reprinted' lines (May 1902, etc.). Bound in tan/olive pictorial cloth. Key textual point: certain early-state readings/dedication; the earliest printing has no list of later reprintings on the copyright page.
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. US Macmillan (1902) is the true first—the foundational cowboy novel. Precedence among 1902 Macmillan printings is determined by the copyright-page reprint listing: the first printing shows only 'Published April, 1902' with no subsequent reprint dates. Multiple 1902 printings exist, so the reprint li
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition contemporaneous; the practical confusion is later 1902 Macmillan printings (which list May/June/etc. reprintings) and Grosset & Dunlap reprints. Only the April-1902-only copyright state is the first printing.
I have a first edition of The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains — 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.