One of only 5,150 copies of the first paperback edition, first printing of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, published simultaneously with 500 hardback copies on 26 June 1997. Includes all first-issue points: Wendy Cooling quote on the front cover; ‘Philosopher’s’ misspelled as ‘Philospher’s’ and ‘Wizardry and Witchcraft’ reversed as ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry’ on the rear cover; number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1; the author’s full name ‘Joanne Rowling’; missing space between ‘Thomas Taylor1997’ on the copyright page; and ‘1 wand’ listed twice on page 53.
Condition: Apart from a mild crease to the upper right corner of the front cover, only very minor signs of wear. The laminate to the front corners had lifted slightly but was carefully re-adhered by a professional to prevent further detachment. A very small blemish is present to the upper edge of the front cover near the spine. The spine is sharp, without reading creases, and shows only the faintest trace of fading. Binding excellent, with only the first few leaves showing a slight upward lift at the upper edge. Pages with the expected toning to margins.
Provenance: With a small birthday inscription to the verso of the title page: “Happy Birthday Richard! Lots of love from U NO HOO.” The playful wording indicates that the giver was already familiar with the story of this then-unpublished novel (on page 45 Hagrid refuses to speak Voldemort’s name and instead says “YOU-KNOW-WHO”). The giver must therefore have been either an insider or someone who had acquired and read the book immediately upon publication.
A highly desirable copy with a quite intriguing provenance, housed in a half-leather clamshell box.
