The Lord of the Rings – First Edition, First Impressions – Mixed Dust Jackets

A Rare and Collectible First Edition Set

This is a complete set of first edition, first impression copies of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, published by George Allen & Unwin in 1954-1955. While the books themselves are all true first impressions, they are housed in mixed impression dust jackets, making this a unique and desirable collector’s set.

The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
First edition, first impression.
Dust jacket: Fourth impression, as indicated by the later printing notice inside the jacket.
Condition: The red cloth boards are in good condition, with some minor wear and handling marks. The pages show typical light foxing, particularly on the endpapers. The fold-out map at the rear is present and intact. The jacket has some minor wear and handling, but the text remains clear and unfaded.

The Two Towers (1954)
First edition, first impression.
Dust jacket: Second impression, as indicated by the notation inside the jacket.
Condition: The red cloth boards are well-preserved, with only minor shelf wear. The pages show light age-toning and occasional foxing, as is common for early printings. The fold-out map remains secure and undamaged. The dust jacket has some signs of wear but presents well with clear text and Tolkien’s iconic design intact.

The Return of the King (1955)
First edition, first impression.
Dust jacket: First impression, making this the most complete of the three in terms of matching book and jacket.
Condition: The boards are in good condition, with only minor signs of handling. The pages are clean overall, with some natural age toning. The fold-out map is present and in very good condition. The dust jacket has some light wear and handling marks, but it remains a strong example of this scarce first-issue jacket.

A Coveted Set for Collectors.

A complete first edition, first impression set, with two of the volumes housed in later impression jackets.
All three books retain their original red cloth bindings with gilt lettering on the spines.
Each book includes its original fold-out map, a key element in identifying true first editions.
The dust jackets are all correct to early printings but from mixed impressions, making this an attractive but slightly variant set.

A truly remarkable set of Tolkien’s masterpiece, offering a rare opportunity to own a piece of literary history.

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Interested: Please send email to info@tolkienlibrary.com.