Links to Articles
Christopher Tolkien Bibliography
Printing and Binding The Hobbit
Tolkien's Languages and Alphabets
Publishing The Lord of the Rings
V The First Impression of RotK
XV LotR - A Bibliography of Slipcases
The History of Middle-earth series
V The Guild Publishing Editions
For many years there has been a problem with sellers on ebay and other outletsoffering so-called signed copies of The Hobbit and Tree and Leaf. Unfortunately for the people buying these books the signatures are not real (they are printed facsimilies) and appear on the title page of every copy of the book issued. The signatures are all identical, although in some impressions it is printed square on the page whereas on others it is slanted.
The editions that include these facsimile signatures are:
The Hobbit. Paperback. Third Edition. Unwin Books. All impressions dated from 1966 to 1975.
Tree and Leaf. Paperback. First Edition. Unwin Books. All impressions dated 1964 to 1975.
Tree and Leaf. Hardback. First Edition. George Allen & Unwin. All impressions dated 1964 to 1974.
Buying signatures is a perilous business at the best of times, if you see anybody selling these books as signed editions please tell them, in the majority of cases it is an honest mistake.
Facsimile signatures can also be found in:
English and Medieval Studies: Presented to J.R.R. Tolkien on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday. Hardback. First Edition 1962. George Allen & Unwin. Signatures appear on the frontispiece and the binding.
The Hobbit. Hardback. Deluxe Edition 1999. HarperCollins. A signature appears on the half-title.
The Lord of the Rings. Hardback. Seven Volume Edition 1999. HarperCollins. A signature appears on the half-title.
The Lord of the Rings. Paperback. Seven Volume Editions 1999 & 2001. HarperCollins. A signature appears on the half-title.
Examples of Facsimile Signatures - Click for a Larger Image
