Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Rowling, J. K.

Published by London Bloombury 1997, 1997

About this Item

Second impression. 223 pages. The book is firmly bound in the distinctive illustrated boards, which are lightly marked and rubbed with fading to the spine. The text block is age browned with some minor marks and slight cracking at points. A relatively uncommon book for three reasons, two of them innocent, in that the print run of the second impression was quite small and a goodly proportion of copies went to libraries and were read to destruction. The third reason is best summarised by this snippet from an article in the November 2021 issue of the ATG: "Among the minor tweaks made to the second impression of the first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone were corrections to the two errors on the outside back cover of both the hardback and paperback 'Witchcraft and Wizardry' (which on the first impression was incorrectly printed as 'Wizardry and Witchcraft') and 'Philosopher's Stone' (which on the first impression was incorrectly printed as 'Philospher's Stone'). […] Once collectors had spotted this change it was used to show up the occasional fake, whereby the pages from a paperback first edition first impression had been removed and inserted into the cover of the second impression hardback in an attempt to pass it off as a first edition first impression hardback.". Fortunately, this copy survived and, fading to the spine aside, is a pleasing example that looks to have been little read. Seller Inventory # 6716

Bibliographic Details

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Publisher: London Bloombury 1997

Publication Date: 1997