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How to identify a Harry Potter first edition
The first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published by Bloomsbury in London on 26 June 1997: about 500 hardbacks, most of them sold to libraries, and a larger run of paperbacks. Scholastic published the American edition, retitled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in October 1998. Later impressions of both look almost the same and repeat the date, so the points are on the copyright page, on page 53 and on the jacket. Five checks, each shown below on real copies, tell a first from a later printing. After them: the American edition in detail, the first editions of the other six books, and what each is worth.
First printing, unsigned, near fine: $51,578 · Signed, near fine: $180,590 · Full values by condition
The five checks
- UK: the number line on the copyright page runs down to 1: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
- UK: on page 53, “1 wand” appears twice in Harry’s list of equipment.
- UK: the hardback has pictorial boards and no jacket; the back reads “Philospher’s”.
- US: the number line keeps its 1: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.
- US: the jacket is priced $16.95 and has the Guardian quote on the back.
1. The number line runs down to 1
Turn to the copyright page, the back of the title page. Bloomsbury dated it 1997 and nothing else, so the date can’t tell a first from a reprint: the number line at the foot of the page does. A first impression has the full line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, under “Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc”. Bloomsbury took a number off the end for each new impression, so the lowest number is the impression: a line ending in 6 is a sixth. The credit to “Joanne Rowling” is on later impressions too, so it proves nothing on its own.
The same page lists both ISBNs, 0 7475 3269 9 for the hardback and 0 7475 3274 5 for the paperback: the paperback first impression has the same number line.
2. “1 wand” twice on page 53
Page 53 prints the list of equipment Harry needs for Hogwarts. In the first impression “1 wand” appears twice: once at the end of the clothing and once again under “Other Equipment”. The repeat was corrected in later impressions, but not straight away, so it confirms an early copy rather than a first by itself. Read it together with the number line.
3. Pictorial boards, no jacket, and “Philospher’s” on the back
The first hardback was issued without a dust jacket: Thomas Taylor’s Hogwarts Express picture is printed on the laminated boards themselves. On the back, the heading over the reviews misspells the title: “Acclaim for Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone”, with the second “o” missing. The back is priced £10.99, with ISBN 0-7475-3269-9 above the barcode. A jacket on a 1997 hardback is a later addition.
4. The American number line keeps its 1
Scholastic’s copyright page reads “First American edition, October 1998” on every printing, so that line alone proves nothing. The number line under it decides. A first printing reads 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, followed by the years 8 9/9 0/0 01 02, over “Printed in the U.S.A. 23”. The line reads from the outside in, and each printing drops its lowest number: a line that starts 7 9 10 8 6 is a sixth printing, and any line without the 1 is not a first.
5. The American jacket: $16.95 and the Guardian quote
The first printing’s jacket is priced $16.95 at the top of the front flap. The price stayed on later printings, so check that it is there (a clipped corner lowers the value) and then turn to the back. The first printing’s rear panel opens with the Guardian’s line that Harry Potter “could assume the same near-legendary status as Roald Dahl’s Charlie”. Later printings replaced it with the starred Publishers Weekly review, “A DELIGHTFUL award-winning debut…”: a jacket with that quote belongs to a later printing.
A first printing book in a later jacket, or the reverse, is a “married” copy: check the jacket and the copyright page separately.
The American first edition: Sorcerer’s Stone (Scholastic, 1998)
First printing, unsigned, near fine: $2,944 · Full values by condition
Scholastic bought the American rights in 1997 and published the book under its Arthur A. Levine Books imprint in October 1998, as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It was printed in far larger numbers than the Bloomsbury first, so it is much easier to find and worth much less, but a first printing in a fine jacket is still a valuable book.
To identify a first printing (checks 4 and 5 above):
- Copyright page: “First American edition, October 1998” over the number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, followed by 8 9/9 0/0 01 02, and “Printed in the U.S.A. 23”.
- Jacket: $16.95 on the front flap and the Guardian quote at the head of the rear panel.
- Binding: red cloth spine and purple paper boards, under the jacket.
| UK first (Bloomsbury, 1997) | US first (Scholastic, 1998) | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone |
| Number line | 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 | 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 |
| Binding | Pictorial boards, no jacket | Cloth and boards in a jacket |
| Price | £10.99 on the back board | $16.95 on the jacket flap |
| Values | UK first impression | US first printing |
First editions of the other six books
The later books were printed in much larger first runs, so their first editions are easier to find and worth less. Bloomsbury kept the number line for Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban; from Goblet of Fire (2000) it printed “First Edition” at the foot of the copyright page, with no number line. Scholastic kept “First American edition” with the month and year over a number line that keeps its 1.
| Book | Edition | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Chamber of Secrets (1999) | US first, Scholastic | “First American edition, June 1999”; $17.95 on the flap. |
| Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) | US first, Scholastic | “First American edition, October 1999”; $19.95 on the flap; YEAR 3 on the spine. |
| Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) | Advance reader’s edition (ARC) | ADVANCE READER’S EDITION on the cover; UNCORRECTED PROOF on the back. |
| Goblet of Fire (2000) | UK first, Bloomsbury | “First Edition”, no number line; Crouch on p. 503; £14.99. |
| Order of the Phoenix (2003) | UK first, Bloomsbury | “First edition”, no number line; £16.99. |
| Half-Blood Prince (2005) | UK first, Bloomsbury | “First Edition”, no number line; printed by Clays Ltd. |
| Deathly Hallows (2007) | UK first, Bloomsbury | “First Edition”, no number line; £17.99. |
More on each publisher’s conventions, with the Goblet of Fire p. 503 point, in our general first edition guide.
What a Harry Potter first edition is worth
The values at the top of this page and in the American section are live, from recorded sales of copies in each condition. What moves the price of a copy:
- The edition: the 1997 Bloomsbury hardback, with about 500 printed, is in a class of its own; the paperback first impression and the Scholastic first are worth a fraction of it.
- First impression or not: a line that stops above 1 is a later impression, worth much less.
- Condition: most hardbacks went to libraries, so stamps, labels and wear are common, and a clean copy is worth far more.
- A signature in Rowling’s hand, which multiplies the value. Check it against our signatures guide.
| Edition | Values |
|---|---|
| Philosopher’s Stone, UK first impression (Bloomsbury, 1997) | Values by condition |
| Sorcerer’s Stone, US first printing (Scholastic, 1998) | Values by condition |
| Every Harry Potter first edition, book by book | Harry Potter first edition values |
First edition or later printing? At a glance
| First edition, first printing | Later printing | |
|---|---|---|
| UK number line | 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 | Stops above 1 (a sixth ends in 6) |
| UK page 53 | “1 wand” twice | Corrected in later impressions |
| UK hardback | Pictorial boards, no jacket, “Philospher’s” on the back, £10.99 | The same boards: check the number line |
| US number line | 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 | No 1 (a sixth starts 7 9 10 8 6) |
| US jacket | $16.95, the Guardian quote on the back | $16.95, the Publishers Weekly quote on the back |
The number line settles it on both editions; the other points confirm it. “Joanne Rowling”, “First American edition, October 1998” and the $16.95 price appear on later printings as well.
Common questions
- My copy says “Joanne Rowling”, not “J.K. Rowling”. Is it a first edition?
- Not by itself. The copyright line of Philosopher’s Stone credits “Joanne Rowling” on later impressions too. Check the number line: only a line running down to 1 is the first impression.
- How many first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were printed?
- About 500 hardbacks is the figure usually given, most of them sold to libraries, alongside a larger first impression in paperback. Both have the same copyright page and number line.
- My copy is dated 1997. Is it a first edition?
- Not necessarily. Every Bloomsbury impression of Philosopher’s Stone is dated 1997 and nothing else. The number line decides: 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 is a first; a line that stops above 1 is a later impression.
- My Sorcerer’s Stone says “First American edition”. Is it a first printing?
- Not necessarily. “First American edition, October 1998” is on every Scholastic printing. A first printing’s number line still has its 1: 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.
- How much is a Harry Potter first edition worth?
- It depends on the book, the country, the printing and the condition. The 1997 Bloomsbury hardback of Philosopher’s Stone is by far the most valuable; our values page gives each first edition’s value from recorded sales. Harry Potter first edition values.
- Is the signature in my copy real?
- Signed early copies are rare and forged signatures are common. Check the ink and compare it with known examples before paying for one. How to tell a real signature from a facsimile.
- Can I sell my copy?
- Yes. We value the exact copy from recorded sales and make a firm cash offer, free and with no obligation.
Guides and editions mentioned
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, UK first impression: values by condition
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, US first printing: values by condition
- Harry Potter first edition values, book by book: what each UK and US first printing is worth
- How to tell if any book is a first edition: with the publishers’ conventions for the later Harry Potter books
- Signed, inscribed, bookplate or facsimile signature?
All images are recreated from photographs of real copies offered for sale; we don’t yet hold a first of either edition in the BBourse collection. Printed type and board art are taken from the photos exactly; lighting, glare and wear are removed so the points read clearly.
Have a first printing? Send a few photos and get a firm offer in 2–3 days. Get an offer.