Very good copy of the scarce first edition, fifth UK Bloomsbury printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, with number line 10 9 8 7 6 5. According to Errington (p.4), only 500 hardback copies of this printing were issued. The copyright page credits “Joanne Rowling,” with no space between “Thomas Taylor” and the year.
This early issue retains the original illustration of the brown-haired young wizard on the rear cover and spine, later replaced by an image of Dumbledore. It also precedes the addition of the Hogwarts shield on the title pages, which appeared in all subsequent printings.
Near-fine pictorial boards with lightly bumped spine ends and sharp corners. The binding is tight, and the endpapers are clean, free of marks, inscriptions, or stamps. Internally, the pages are very clean, showing only the faintest hint of the usual edge-browning. A water stain is visible along the lower fore-edge margin of the first few leaves, most noticeable on the opening six pages.
The unclipped first-edition dust jacket is in very good condition, with only slight fading to the spine and minimal wear. It is now protected by a Brodart removable archival cover.
A collectible and increasingly scarce copy of this cornerstone Harry Potter edition.
