# Is "The Brass Cupcake" by John D. MacDonald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Brass Cupcake by John D. MacDonald (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1950) is identified by: Fawcett Gold Medal number 124, paperback original, 1950 — MacDonald's first novel, issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Barye Phillips. Paperback original; the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Fawcett Gold Medal number 124, paperback original, 1950 — MacDonald's first novel, issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Barye Phillips
- A true first-printing copy carries no later-printing notation on the copyright page and shows the Gold Medal the printed price on the front cover
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John D. MacDonald |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Fawcett Gold Medal number 124, paperback original, 1950 — MacDonald's first novel, issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Barye… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Fawcett Gold Medal number 124, paperback original, 1950 — MacDonald's first novel, issued in pictorial wrappers with cover art by Barye Phillips. A true first-printing copy carries no later-printing notation on the copyright page and shows the Gold Medal the printed price on the front cover.

## Is this the true first?
Paperback original; the true first. No hardcover edition precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not applicable to a Gold Medal PBO. Later Gold Medal printings are identified by a printing notation on the copyright page, and reissues under different Gold Medal numbers postdate the number-124 first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Brass Cupcake* by John D. MacDonald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-brass-cupcake
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.