HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE. Second Printing of the First Canadian Edition.
London [actually, Vancouver]: Bloomsbury [actually, Raincoast], [1997]. Second Impression of the First Canadian Edition, Octavo, original pictorial paper-covered boards (hardcover). 223 pp. The code on the copyright page reads "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 " - there was no issue of the Canadian edition printed in Canada with the code to "1"; the first Canadian printing has the code to "2"; making this the second impression of the Canadian Edition; as well, the first Canadian printing was issued in blue boards lettered in silver, so this is the first Canadian printing in the pictorial binding. Title page and copyright leaf make no mention of Raincoast; the imprint on the title leaf is Bloomsbury, and the copyright page states "Printed and Bound in Canada by Friesens". The imprint on the spine of both the book and dust jacket is Raincoast, the price on the rear panel is $19.95. The blurbs on the covers differ from the First UK edition. The text contains two errors which only occur in very early printings of this book: Line 1, page 8 has "highchair" instead of "high chair"; and on page 53 in the list of "Other Equipment" needed for Hogwart's School, "1 wand" is listed twice. Supposedly this last error only occurred in the very first printing of the book - it was corrected for the 2nd impression - but this again is an unfounded rumour, as all early impressions of the Canadian issue were reprinted from the plates of the UK first printing plates - so it is not an identifier.
The Canadian paperback and hardback editions were issued simultaneously, but they were issued later than the UK editions - in Winter 1998-99.
This copy is not pristine, it is perhaps a good to very good copy. The front free endpaper and half-title leaf are not present, they have been neatly excised, meaning that the book opens to the title leaf. There a stain on the upper edge of the front endpaper, the upper inner corner of the title page and the very inner margins of most of the text block, and the stain is visible on the top page edges. The rear endpaper has the lower section diagonally cut / removed. A few pages have folded corners. There is no dust jacket, and there would have been one, as the earlier 1st impression (remember, with the code to "2") was in plain boards with the pictorial dust jacket. There is some light wear and minor soiling to the pictorial boards. Still, I am cataloguing this copy as it is RARE, and the only copy of this extremely early printing which I have ever encountered in 20+ years of searching. Item #312853
¶ Copies of the Canadian Edition of this book were not issued with the code to "1"; this is the rarest of all Canadian Harry Potter Books.
Price (USD): $250.00