The true first edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit is not the Warne book. Beatrix Potter had 250 copies printed privately by Strangeways and issued them on 16 December 1901, after publishers had turned the story down. A second private printing of about 200 copies followed in February 1902. Both came before Frederick Warne's trade edition of October 1902.
How to tell the two private issues apart:
- First issue (December 1901): about 250 copies, with a flat spine, a colour frontispiece and 41 black and white drawings. It was sold at 1s 2d.
- Second issue (February 1902): about 200 copies, with a rounded spine, darker boards and small changes to the text.
Sources disagree about the board colours of the first issue, describing them as grey, green or fawn, so do not rely on colour alone. The spine shape is the clearer test.
The main trap is a 1993 facsimile of the private printing, which differs from an original only slightly in size and colour. Compare measurements with a known copy before paying a first edition price, and ask for provenance on any copy offered as an original.
Copies of either private issue are rare and appear mainly at major auctions. Condition, completeness of the plates and the state of the spine all affect value.
Sources: the V&A, ILAB, Sotheby's and Christie's.