DAVID COPPERFIELD

First edition in book form, first printing. Contemporary half black calf, four gilt decorated raised bands, compartments decorated in blind and titles in gilt to the spine. Marbled paper covered boards. Engraved frontispiece, illustrated title page (dated 1850) and a further 38 plates by Hablot Knight Browne. Half title discarded by the binder. A very good copy indeed, the binding square and firm with minor wear to the extremities, the boards a little scuffed. The contents, with a previous owner's name and date (1850) to the front blank, a short closed tear to the outer margin of the front blank and frontispiece and the odd isolated foxing spot or finger mark to the text pages are otherwise clean. The plates are toned and spotted at the edges, as often. The inner front hinge is cracked but holding firm. An attractive example without

With all first issue points present including "screamed" on line 20 of page 132 (this was changed to "screwed" very early in the print run), uncommon thus. (Smith: Charles Dickens in the Original Cloth, vol. I, 9).