# Is "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (Cassell & Company, 1883) is identified by: First book edition: Cassell & Company, London, published 14 November 1883 (title page dated 1883), first printing of 2,000 copies, following serialization in Young Folks (1881-82) as 'The Sea Cook.' Frontispiece map of Treasure Island printed in four colours (often with a tissue guard, frequently now lacking). The UK Cassell 1883 edition is the true first book edition; the 1884 US (Roberts Brothers, Boston) edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First book edition: Cassell & Company, London, published 14 November 1883 (title page dated 1883), first printing of 2,000 copies, following serialization in Young Folks (1881-82) as 'The Sea Cook.' Frontispiece map of Treasure Island printed in four colours (often with a tissue guard, frequently now lacking)
- Earliest-state rear advertisements coded '5R-10.83' (October 1883)
- First-issue textual points: 'dead man's chest' NOT capitalised (page 2, line 6, and page 7, line 19); 'rain' for 'vain' in the last line of page 40; the 'a' lacking in line 6 of page 63; page 83 correctly numbered (the '8' present) while the '7' is LACKING on page 127 (misnumbered '12'); no full stop after 'opportunity' in line 20 of page 178; and 'worse' for 'worst' in line 3 of page 197
- In the publisher's advertisements Treasure Island itself is listed at 304 pp
- Publisher imprint reads Cassell & Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Publisher | Cassell & Company |
| Year | 1883 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First book edition: Cassell & Company, London, published 14 November 1883 (title page dated 1883), first printing of 2,000 copies… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First book edition: Cassell & Company, London, published 14 November 1883 (title page dated 1883), first printing of 2,000 copies, following serialization in Young Folks (1881-82) as 'The Sea Cook.' Frontispiece map of Treasure Island printed in four colours (often with a tissue guard, frequently now lacking). Earliest-state rear advertisements coded '5R-10.83' (October 1883). First-issue textual points: 'dead man's chest' NOT capitalised (page 2, line 6, and page 7, line 19); 'rain' for 'vain' in the last line of page 40; the 'a' lacking in line 6 of page 63; page 83 correctly numbered (the '8' present) while the '7' is LACKING on page 127 (misnumbered '12'); no full stop after 'opportunity' in line 20 of page 178; and 'worse' for 'worst' in line 3 of page 197. In the publisher's advertisements Treasure Island itself is listed at 304 pp.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Cassell 1883 edition is the true first book edition; the 1884 US (Roberts Brothers, Boston) edition follows. Serialization in Young Folks (1881-82, as 'The Sea Cook') predates the book but is not a book edition. The dated rear advertisements ('5R-10.83') and the uncorrected textual readings above confirm the earliest state; because these points are heavily faked, verify several together rather than relying on any single one.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry an edition statement on the title page or later-dated advertisements, and correct the textual points (e.g., 'vain' for 'rain,' capitalised 'Dead Man's Chest,' a full stop after 'opportunity,' and full pagination on page 127). A copy showing the corrected readings or later ads is a later issue, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Treasure Island* by Robert Louis Stevenson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/treasure-island
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.