The Number Line on the Copyright Page: How to Decode It

Somewhere on the copyright page of almost every book published since the 1970s, there is a line of numbers. It might read “1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2” or “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1” or some variation. This line — the number line, also called the printer’s key or print run line — tells you which printing you are holding. Learning to read it takes about five minutes. That knowledge will save you from buying hundreds of dollars’ worth of later printings at first-edition prices.

The Basic Principle

The number line works by subtraction. When the publisher prints the first run of a book, the number line includes all numbers from 1 through 10 (or sometimes 1 through some other number). When the publisher reprints, they remove the lowest number. The lowest number remaining in the line tells you the printing.

If the line reads: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 — this is a first printing.

If the line reads: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 — this is a second printing. The “1” has been removed.

If the line reads: 5 6 7 8 9 10 — this is a fifth printing. Numbers 1 through 4 have been removed.

The principle is the same regardless of the order in which the numbers appear.

Common Formats

Publishers arrange the number line in several ways, all of which follow the same subtraction principle:

Ascending order

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The simplest format. Look for the “1” on the left. If it is present, the book is a first printing.

Descending order

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Equally simple. Look for the “1” on the right. If present, first printing.

Split ascending

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

A common variation where odd numbers count up from the left and even numbers count down from the right. This format was adopted by many publishers because it makes plate changes easier — the printer removes numbers from the ends of the line rather than the beginning. For this format, the lowest number present (regardless of position) indicates the printing.

With year codes

1 3 5 7 9 / 0 2 4 6 8

Some publishers include a second set of numbers or letters that indicate the year of printing. For instance: “1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 / 99 98 97 96 95” means the book is a first printing, produced in 1995 (the lowest year number). In a second printing from 1997, the line might read: “3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 / 99 98 97” — the “1” is gone, and years before 1997 have been removed.

Letter-based systems

Some publishers, particularly in the UK, use letters instead of or in addition to numbers. The most common system uses letters to indicate the printing: “A B C D E F G H I J” where “A” indicates the first printing. Bloomsbury used this system for the early Harry Potter books.

Publisher-Specific Variations

While the number line is nearly universal among modern publishers, the specific implementation varies. Here are the conventions for major houses:

Random House / Modern Library

Uses a standard number line. First printings include a “1” in the line and typically include the words “First Edition” on the copyright page. In reprints, the “First Edition” statement is removed along with the “1.” Random House is one of the more straightforward publishers to identify.

Alfred A. Knopf

A Knopf first printing includes the statement “First Edition” and a number line with “1” present. Knopf also places the Borzoi colophon (a leaping borzoi dog) on the title page and spine. Knopf is an imprint of Random House and follows broadly similar conventions.

Scribner’s (Charles Scribner’s Sons)

Pre-1970s Scribner’s books use a distinctive “A” on the copyright page to indicate a first printing. No number line is used in vintage Scribner’s books. This “A” is one of the most sought-after first edition indicators in the trade, because Scribner’s published Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Thomas Wolfe. Post-1970s Scribner’s books generally follow the number line system.

Viking Press

Uses a number line and typically includes a “First published in [year]” statement. First printings include “1” in the number line.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

First printings include a number line with “1” and the statement “First edition” or “First published in [year].” FSG is generally reliable in its edition identification.

HarperCollins / Harper & Row

Modern HarperCollins books use a standard number line. Older Harper & Row books use “First Edition” statements that are removed in later printings, combined with a number or letter code.

Simon & Schuster

Uses a number line. First printings include “1” and may include “First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition [year].” Simon & Schuster’s practices have been consistent and reliable.

Houghton Mifflin

Uses a number line. Some older Houghton Mifflin books include the publication year on the title page that matches the copyright date — a year mismatch often indicates a later printing.

Bloomsbury (UK)

Bloomsbury first printings typically include “First published in Great Britain in [year]” and a number line with “1” or letter line with “A.” Bloomsbury’s Harry Potter editions use a number line; the presence of “1” (or, for the earliest printings, specific print run identifiers like “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1”) confirms the first printing.

Penguin / Penguin Books

Penguin typically uses “First published [year]” with a number line. However, Penguin’s vast catalogue includes many reprints of titles originally published by other houses, and “First published by Penguin [year]” does not mean it is a first edition of the text — merely the first Penguin edition.

When the Number Line Lies

The number line is not infallible. Several situations can produce misleading results:

The “First Edition” statement without a “1.” Some publishers include the statement “First Edition” on every printing and rely solely on the number line to distinguish printings. If the number line reads “2 3 4 5…” but the copyright page says “First Edition,” the book is a second or later printing, regardless of the statement. The number line overrides the edition statement.

Simultaneous printings. Occasionally, a publisher prints two or more runs simultaneously — before the book is even released — to meet anticipated demand. All of these runs may carry a “1” in the number line, because they were all produced from the same plates at the same time. This is common for guaranteed bestsellers.

Foreign editions. The number line on a UK edition of a book first published in the US is irrelevant to its status as a first edition. Even if the UK edition shows “1” in the number line, it is not the first edition if the US edition was published earlier.

Print-on-demand. Modern print-on-demand (POD) copies may carry copyright pages that look identical to first printings, including a number line with “1.” POD copies are not collectible first editions — they are mass-produced reproductions made years after original publication. The giveaway is usually the paper quality, binding, and slight differences in trim size or cover printing.

Before the Number Line

Books published before the widespread adoption of the number line (roughly pre-1970) require publisher-specific knowledge to identify as first printings. Methods vary:

• Scribner’s “A” on the copyright page
• Date matching between the title page and copyright page (if both show the same year, and no later printing is stated, it may be a first printing)
• “First Edition” or “First Printing” statements without subsequent printing notices
• Absence of later-printing indicators such as “Second Printing” or “Sixth Impression”
• Publisher colophons and devices that were changed or removed in later printings

For pre-twentieth-century books, edition identification becomes a specialised bibliographical discipline that goes beyond copyright-page analysis and requires knowledge of printing history, paper analysis, typography, and collation.

The Bottom Line

The number line is the first thing an experienced book buyer checks after pulling a book from the shelf. It takes two seconds to look at, and it provides the single most important piece of information about a modern book’s collectibility. If the “1” is there (or the “A,” in systems that use letters), the book merits further examination. If it is not, the book is a later printing and, in most cases, not worth a collector’s premium.

Learn the number line, and you will never again pay first-edition prices for a third printing.