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Copyright page decoder
Paste every line from the back of the title page. We find the edition statement, reprint lines, the number line, the ISBN and any book club name, and say what printing the page describes.
- Free
- Reads number lines and statements
- About a minute
How to read a copyright page
Paste the page
Type or paste every line from the copyright page, the back of the title page: the statement, the copyright notice, the number line and any reprint lines.
Add the publisher and year
Optional, but they let us apply the publisher's own rules, such as Random House number lines, and show how that house marked its firsts in that year.
Read the verdict
The decoder quotes the lines that decided it: a club's name, a reprint line, the lowest number on the line or the first edition statement. Then check the points of issue for the book itself.
The copyright page, on the back of the title page, is where publishers record the printing history. British houses have usually written it out in words since the 1920s: "First published 1953" for the first impression, with each reprint added underneath. American houses moved to number lines in the 1970s, and most British ones followed by the 1980s. Book clubs printed their own name, or none at all. The decoder reads all of these; for the rules house by house, see first editions by publisher and the guide to points of issue.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read a copyright page?
Look for four things: an edition statement ("First published 1953", "First Edition"), any line that records a reprint or a later impression, the number line (the lowest number left is the printing), and the name of a book club. The decoder finds each of them in the text you paste and says which one decides the verdict.
What does "First published" mean?
On most British books it is the statement of the first impression. A reprint keeps the line and adds "Reprinted 1954" or "Second impression" under it, so the first line alone does not make a first: the page must have no reprint lines as well.
Why does the decoder say it cannot tell?
Many older books carry no statement, no number line and no reprint record, and a few publishers never marked their firsts at all. For those the publisher's practice, the date on the title page and the points of issue on the book's own page decide it.
Does a first printing mean a first edition?
The number line and the statement describe the printing of this edition. If the book was first published by another house, or in another country, this edition is not the true first: the book's page on MyVolumes says which edition came first.
Link to this tool
This page has a permanent address and is free for anyone to use or link to. To cite it: MyVolumes, Copyright page decoder, https://myvolumes.com/tools/copyright-page-decoder/, accessed 25 October 2026.
To add it to your own site, forum answer or library guide, copy this link:
<a href="https://myvolumes.com/tools/copyright-page-decoder/">Copyright page decoder (MyVolumes)</a>More free tools
All tools- No. 01 At a book fair? Book scanner and ISBN lookup Scan a barcode or type an ISBN to see the edition, whether it is a first and what it is worth. Open
- No. 02 Which printing? Number line decoder Type the row of numbers from the copyright page and see which printing you have. Open
- No. 04 How did they mark it? First editions by publisher How each publisher marked its first editions, from Allen & Unwin to Scribner. Open
- No. 05 Is it a first? First edition checker by publisher Name the publisher and the year on the title page and see how that house marked its first editions, then check your copy. Open