Is My Copy of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes a First Edition?

The points of issue

• First edition: John Murray, London, published 16 June 1927 in a run of 15,150 copies, in publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine and front board (Green & Gibson A46a); the red cloth fades readily and bright copies are uncommon, and the dust jacket is notably scarce
• A colonial issue appeared the same day (about 5,000 copies) in grey cloth with "Murray's Imperial Library" lettered on the front board — a distinct issue, not the home first
• First American edition: George H. Doran, New York, 1927 (Green & Gibson A46c), tan coarse cloth lettered in red, 320 pp; the UK title hyphenates "Case-Book" while the US rendering is "Case Book"

How John Murray marked a first edition

• No formal edition statement on most 19th-century Murray firsts: identify by the title-page date with no 'New Edition' / 'Second Edition' / number-of-thousand line, the correct imprint ('John Murray, Albemarle Street')…
• Inserted publisher's advertisement catalogue, frequently dated (for example 'March 1859'); on travel and scientific works a dated ad catalogue is a strong printing indicator and is sometimes the only dating evidence.

Full John Murray first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Check for a number line or dated printing — the lowest number present is the printing; a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the tell.
4. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
5. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The Murray (London) and Doran (New York) editions were published simultaneously — same day, June 1927 — per the Camden House canon reference and standard publication histories, so neither has clean precedence. Collectors conventionally treat the Murray London edition as the primary first; both are collected. This is the last Holmes collection.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

The same-day grey-cloth colonial issue ("Murray's Imperial Library") must not be confused with the home first. For the Doran edition, one ABAA dealer records a second-issue jacket carrying review blurbs on the rear panel (single-source; treat as a jacket-state indicator, not settled doctrine).P-037592

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes a first edition?

A first edition of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (John Murray) is identified by: First edition: John Murray, London, published 16 June 1927 in a run of 15,150 copies, in publisher's red cloth lettered in gilt on the spine and front board (Green & Gibson A46a); the red cloth fades readily and bright copies are uncommon, and the dust jacket is notably scarce.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A stated first edition, a number line ending in 1, or a dated first printing with no later printings listed is the key. The Murray (London) and Doran (New York) editions were published simultaneously — same day, June 1927 — per the Camden House canon reference and standard publication histories, so neither has clean precedence.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

The same-day grey-cloth colonial issue ("Murray's Imperial Library") must not be confused with the home first. For the Doran edition, one ABAA dealer records a second-issue jacket carrying review blurbs on the rear panel (single-source; treat as a jacket-state indicator, not settled doctrine).

I have a first edition of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.