The Lord of the Rings — 1968 Third Impressions in Dark Dawn Case

Each of the three copyright pages ends with “Third Impression 1968” under the revised second edition. This 1968 George Allen & Unwin set comprises The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The pale grey-green jackets retain the familiar George Allen & Unwin spine design. The books are housed together in a cloth-covered case made specifically for this set by Dark Dawn. Its decorated exterior carries individual volume labels; three red ribbon pulls, or “book shoes”, allow each volume to be lifted out without tugging at the jacket.

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Title: The Lord of the Rings, in three volumes
Publisher: George Allen & Unwin, London
Edition: Revised second edition, third impression of each volume, 1968
Binding: Original clothbound volumes in illustrated dust jackets; later custom protective case by Dark Dawn

The jackets show visible handling and edge wear, including creasing and small losses at the spine heads. There are small brown marks on the Fellowship jacket spine and a diagonal crease or tear near the foot of the Return of the King jacket spine. The custom case is clean and presents the three volumes attractively. The photographs show the case closed and open, the jackets, the ribbon pulls and all three copyright pages, so the printing and condition of this particular set can be examined in detail.