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1885 - King Solomon's Mines

As detailed on the main KING SOLOMON'S MINES  page, the second issue of the first printing consists of 500 copies, which were bound with ads at the end date-coded October

In October 1885, Cassell issued a second printing (third London issue [perhaps second American issue]) 

All three of the typographical errors were corrected in the second printing. The London issue has ads at the end date-coded October 1885, while the American issue has no ads at the end.

It is most probable that the October 1885 second printing consists of 2,000 copies, the "Fourth Thousand"

I do not own any of the books pictured below, unless noted.

The second printing (Fourth Thousand for sure) was at least available for sale by November 7, 1885, as the ads below confirm.

Below, an 1885 second printing, from October 1885

All typographical errors are corrected in this copy

The second printing also doesn't have a date-code at the bottom of the last page

Ads at the end of the novel have date-codes of "5 G. 10.8" and "5 B. 10.85"

The first date-code on the ads is missing the "5" and the date-codes signify that this copy is from October 1885


David Frank supplied the photos

I own a rebound-in-leather 1885 second printing, from October 1885

My rebound-in-leather 1885 copy's ads at the end are date-coded "5 G. 10.8" (October 1885) and "5 B. 10.85" (October 1885).

The first date-code on the ads is missing the "5," which appears to be the same for all October 1885 copies.

Below, an 1885 copy that was bound in blue cloth in Cassell's New York city office without the publisher's catalogue at end, with floral patterned endpapers, and publisher printed at bottom of spine.

The typographical errors are all corrected in this edition, so it is either the second printing from October 1885, or from one of the November or December 1885 printings. 


David Frank supplied the photos