The Hobbit (1937)

Jacket price

7s. 6d. net

Print run

1,500 (Confirmed by two sources, listed under sources)

Binding

Green cloth with the lettering and design in dark blue on both boards and the spine; top edge stained green. Endpaper maps printed in red and black.

Jacket

Designed by Tolkien and printed in blue, green and black.

Points of issue

• illustrationsAll plates are black and white; there are no colour plates→ first impression
• endpapersMaps printed in red and black→ first edition
• jacket, rear flapDodgeson is misspelt, with the e struck through by hand in ink→ first state jacket
• jacket, front flapPriced 7s. 6d. net→ first issue jacket

Traps and later printings: The 1942 third impression included 3,000 copies for the Foyles children's book club. Jackets on first impressions are often restored, supplied from a later impression, or partly facsimile.

Published 21 September 1937. The first impression had sold out by mid-December 1937.
Hammond A3a; Currey 476. Colour plates first appear in the second impression, which is still dated 1937, so check the plates before anything else. Survey of plate counts differs between sources, so count is not given here.

Value guide

Price history

Binding

Same green cloth as the first impression.

Points of issue

• illustrationsFour colour plates added, including a colour frontispiece of Hobbiton→ second impression

Still dated 1937 but issued around the turn of 1937 to 1938, after the first impression sold out.

Value guide

Price history