The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, 5th Impression US in Dustjacket and Custom Leather Slipcase by J.R.R. Tolkien - 1951

Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1951. 2nd Edition. Original Cloth. Near Fine/Near Fine. J.R.R. Tolkien. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. A superb copy of an early printing of The Hobbit. The 1951, 5th overall printing, or the 1st printing of the 2nd Edition (1951). A Near Fine book, with a Near Fine dustjacket. The dustjacket shows beautifully, with only minor loss at the tips of the folds and edges. A few minor closed tears to the edges. The 5th impression dustjacket is original to the book, and has protected it well over the years. It is not price clipped, but show's no US or UK price. It is not stated as the 5th impression on the dustjacket, but is the 1st state with the Houghton Mifflin printed on the spine, no pricing, and the blurbs match the UK 5th impression. A scarce copy, imported from Allen & Unwin, still with the Allen and Unwin title page, not the Houghton Mifflin. Only the Houghton Mifflin stamped at the base of the spine differentiates this copy from the Allen & Unwin (A3c Hammond and Anderson). One of the original 1000 printed for the US and bound from November 1950 thru March 1953 (per Hammond and Anderson). The text block is clean and bright, with a little foxing and darkening to the first few pages, bound in the green colored original cloth featuring Tolkiens original Mountains and Dragon design stamped in dark blue, from the UK publisher. This is the only impression of the US 1st or 2nd Edition that features the original UK Mountain and Dragon design for the cover's. Shows no shelf wear or rubbing, no soiling to note, or bumped corners. A beautiful clean bright copy, the green topstain is faded and barely visible. Contains the full color frontispiece "The Hill: Hobbiton-across-the Water", as well as the original line drawings by Tolkien. The maps are in excellent condition, red and black ink still show clear and bright against the endpapers, with some offsetting along the gutters. A previous owners name and date of Sept 1953 to the half title page, no other writing or marks. A beautiful copy, virtually faultless, scarce in the original dustjacket in any condition, let alone the 1st state dustjacket. A custom quarter leather bound and hand marbled paper clamshell case is being prepared to protect and show this classic. The first to incorporate the changes to help conform the tale of The Hobbit to the 'Lord of the Rings' story line. Additional digital photo's available, inquire if interested. Other Tolkien books available, include both the UK and US editions, original cloth bindings, custom fine bindings, and Signed/Numbered/Limited Editions. Near Fine / Near Fine.