How to identify a first printing
- 1842-c.1960 (German tradition): German-language scientific works denote edition by 'Auflage' (for example '1. Auflage' is the first edition, '2. Auflage' the second). A first edition is the one stating '1. Auflage' or, on earliest issues, carrying no Auflage statement at all. The printing-versus-edition distinction is carried by 'Auflage' (edition) versus occasional reprint notes.
- c.1960-c.1990 (US/English titles): Springer-Verlag New York and the yellow-spine 'Graduate Texts in Mathematics' and 'Lecture Notes' series. A first printing is often denoted by a printing line or coded statement, and many English titles state the edition. Series volumes (GTM, and Lecture Notes in Mathematics from 1964) are identified by SERIES NUMBER plus edition.
- c.1990-present: number line on the copyright page for English-language trade and textbook titles, with the lowest digit indicating the printing; German titles continue the 'Auflage' system. Modern Springer copyright pages frequently print a DOI alongside a coded printing/year line. For STM the edition number is the primary identification unit.
- Birkhäuser, Plenum and Kluwer (merged imprints): retain their own legacy copyright-page styles before merger and conform to Springer house style afterward.
Notable points & cautions
- Distinguish Springer-Verlag (the German STM science house, founded 1842 by Julius Springer) from Springer Publishing Company (a separate U.S. health/medical/nursing house founded in New York in 1950/1951 by a Springer descendant) — the two are commonly conflated.
- The yellow 'Gelbe Reihe' and numbered series (GTM, LNM) are collector touchstones; track the series number.
- 'Auflage' (edition) is the single most important German-language identification tell.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Springer-Verlag, Springer, Springer New York, Springer US, Birkhäuser (subsidiary), Apress (technical, subsidiary), Copernicus, Plenum (merged 1998), Kluwer Academic (merged into Springer 2004), Humana Press, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag (German trade-science). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Springer (Springer-Verlag / Springer Science+Business Media) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. 1842-c.1960 (German tradition): German-language scientific works denote edition by 'Auflage' (for example '1. Auflage' is the first edition, '2. Auflage' the second). A first edition is the one stating '1. Auflage' or, on earliest issues, carrying no Auflage statement at all. The printing-versus-edition distinction is carried by 'Auflage' (edition) versus occasional reprint notes. c.1960-c.1990 (US/English titles): Springer-Verlag New York and the yellow-spine 'Graduate Texts in Mathematics' and 'Lecture Notes' series. A first printing is often denoted by a printing line or coded statement, and many English titles state the edition. Series volumes (GTM, and Lecture Notes in Mathematics from 1964) are identified by SERIES NUMBER plus edition.
Does Springer (Springer-Verlag / Springer Science+Business Media) use a number line?
c.1960-c.1990 (US/English titles): Springer-Verlag New York and the yellow-spine 'Graduate Texts in Mathematics' and 'Lecture Notes' series. A first printing is often denoted by a printing line or coded statement, and many English titles state the edition. Series volumes (GTM, and Lecture Notes in Mathematics from 1964) are identified by SERIES NUMBER plus edition.
Is a book-club edition a Springer (Springer-Verlag / Springer Science+Business Media) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Distinguish Springer-Verlag (the German STM science house, founded 1842 by Julius Springer) from Springer Publishing Company (a separate U.S. health/medical/nursing house founded in New York in 1950/1951 by a Springer descendant) — the two are commonly conflated.
What era does this cover?
This covers Springer (Springer-Verlag / Springer Science+Business Media) (1842-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.