Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
First US Edition, First Printing, Hardcover, Scholastic 1998, Fine Condition
This example is a superb first U.S. edition, first printing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, displaying all of the requisite points. The binding features the correct red spine over purple boards, with “J.K. Rowling” printed in full at the head of the spine. The copyright page bears the complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 and states “Printed in the U.S.A.” The first-state dust jacket is present, with raised gold lettering to the title, no numeral “1” on the spine, a rear panel quote from The Guardian rather than Publishers Weekly, and the original price of $16.95 intact on the front flap.
The book remains in fine condition throughout and comes housed in a custom purple cloth clamshell box, with gold gilt lettering to the spine. The pages are clean and bright, with no internal markings, ownership inscriptions, or dog-eared corners. The boards have sharp corners, the binding is square and tight and the spine head and tail remain firm and intact. The dust jacket is also in fine condition, showing no color fading, and is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. The rare convergence of first printing, first-state jacket and fine condition makes this copy one of the most desirable forms in which the book can be acquired—particularly as surviving copies are increasingly absorbed into long-term collections.
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by Leanne O'Leary
