How to Identify First Edition Charles Dickens Books

Very few authors have captured the imaginations of their audience like Charles Dickens has. With memorable characters, vivid narratives, and starkly relatable social commentaries, Dickens created a whole catalogue of literary wonders during his lifetime that have made him a household name all over the world. Even though Dickens was born over 200 years ago, the popularity of his works has continued to grow in the years since their publication. At one point or another, most of us will have owned a copy of a Charles Dickens book, but to book collectors and bibliophiles, owning a first edition Charles Dickens book is a career benchmark.

Correctly identifying a genuine first edition Charles Dickens book is both an exciting and somewhat complex task, thanks to the rarity of the books and the unique way in which many of them were published (we'll get onto what it is about the way Dickens novels were published that sets them apart later in the article).

In this article, we walk through a complete guide on how to identify a first edition Charles Dickens book. We will be discussing:

• Dickens’ unique publication methods
• Breakdowns for each major novel and how to identify first editions of each
• Realistic market values based on condition and rarity
• Easy ways to avoid fakes and misleading reprints
• How to sell your Charles Dickens novels

So, whether you are a veteran collector or you are just curious about that dusty old copy of Oliver Twist on the shelf, this article will help you evaluate the authenticity of your first editions with confidence.

Who is Charles Dickens?

Born on the 7th February 1812, Charles John Huffam Dickens was the son of John Dickens, a clerk at the navy payment office, and Elizabeth Dickens, a well-educated woman and a devoted mother. Despite working from a young age, Dickens took to writing quickly, publishing his first book when he was only 21 years old, calling it A Dinner at Poplar Walk. From there, he went on to have an illustrious career as an author, achieving international celebrity status within his lifetime (a feat often unheard of among writers), and leaving a legacy unmatched by any other writer of the Victorian era. Dickens lived an incredible life, but a short one, dying suddenly at the age of just 58 from a stroke. Even though his life was cut short, his writing lived on in infamy.

Why Dickens Matters

So why were Dickens’ works so popular, and what made them such an iconic landmark in literary history?

Here are just a couple of reasons why:

Social Commentary: After his experience working from a young age, Dickens was able to speak to the harsh realities of life as a child during 19th-century England. He was able to translate his experiences of child labour, poverty, and class inequality into his stories, giving the public at the time of writing something that they could resonate with.

Memorable Characters: Dickens created vividly memorable characters that remain with the reader for years. Whether through relatability, imaginative descriptions, or sheer aura, the characters in his books have earned their own celebrity status over the years.

Innovative Publication: Unlike most fiction of the time, Dickens chose to release his works in short instalments instead of complete novels. This was good for two reasons: Firstly, it meant that his literature was much more accessible to the working classes, as an entire book was often too expensive for a lot of families during the Victorian era, whereas short stories published in small booklets were much cheaper; And secondly, releasing his stories in segments left people wanting more, so there was always a higher demand for the next release.

Widespread Popularity: Charles Dickens didn’t just see popularity in the UK; his works also saw astounding success in North America, which led to more than one book tour, during which he even met the US President at the time, John Tyler.

How to Identify First Edition Charles Dickens

Now, let’s take a look at some of the Charles Dickens books and how you can identify first edition copies:

Fair warning, there may be some spoilers, so if you haven’t read any of the books we are about to talk about, make sure you grab a copy and give it a read before you finish this article.

The Pickwick Papers (1836–37)

The Pickwick Papers tells the tale of Mr. Pickwick and his fellow club members as they travel across England, watching life go by and getting into all sorts of sticky situations.

First Edition Pickwick Papers

If you think you have first edition copies of The Pickwick Papers, check for evidence of the following features: Serialized publication: March 1836 – November 1837. Originally published in 20 independently wrapped originals. These were sometimes bound into complete volumes. First editions sometimes had minor printing errors e.g. “Weller” misprinted as “Warder” in captions. Some of the pages in the original copies of The Pickwick Papers were misnumbered e.g. Page 25 is misnumbered as 52.

Rarity and Value

True first edition copies of The Pickwick Papers are exceedingly rare, so getting your hands on a full collection of the serialised novel is very difficult. Due to their rarity and general popularity, original first edition copies of Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers can be worth anywhere between £7,000 and £80,000 at auction, depending on quality and condition.

Oliver Twist (1837–39)

Perhaps one of Charles Dickens’ most famous works, thanks to the countless film and stage adaptations, is Oliver Twist, a tale of a young orphan who winds up becoming part of a group of misfit children tasked with living a life of pickpocketing to survive.

First Edition Oliver Twist

Like all first edition Charles Dickens novels, the first edition Oliver Twist copies can be hard to identify, but you can look for the following details to see if your serialised copies of Oliver Twist are genuine originals:

• The title pages credit “Boz”, Charles Dickens’ early pen name.
• The true first edition of Oliver Twist was printed in three volumes.
• The three volumes contained a total of 24 etchings by the artist George Cruikshank
• First editions contain the “Fagin in the condemned cell” plate, which was removed in later editions. Find all of these clues, and you stand a good chance of owning a first edition Oliver Twist.

Rarity and Value

Finding a complete first edition copy of Oliver Twist is very difficult, and finding a complete set in good condition is even harder, so it’s no surprise that they can be worth between £5000 and £100,000, depending on condition.

David Copperfield (1849–50)

David Copperfield is a partly autobiographical novel that was heavily influenced by Dickens' own upbringing during the Industrial Revolution. It tells the story of David, a young boy whose mistreated childhood leads him to become a successful writer. David Copperfield explores themes of love, betrayal, and personal loss throughout the story.

First Edition David Copperfield

By the time of David Copperfield’s first publication, Dickens was already an established writer, yet first editions are still hard to come by. Look for the following clues to help you identify a genuine first edition copy of David Copperfield:

• The title page should have a publication year of “1850”.
• On page 132, line 20 has misspelled “squeezed” as “screwed”. This was corrected in later editions.
• The original first editions contained a total of 38 illustrations by Phiz, including the famous “dark plates”.

Rarity and Value

So how much does a first edition copy of David Copperfield cost? Because of the connection that David Copperfield has to Dickens' own life, it holds a special place for collectors and fans alike, so combining this with the fact that there are relatively few copies remaining in circulation, the value of a single complete copy can range from £2000 to £20,000.

A Christmas Carol (1837-1839)

A Christmas is one of the world's most beloved festive stories. It follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter old man with a distinct dislike for Christmas. Throughout the story, Scrooge is visited by four entities: the ghost of his former employee and three spirits – the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. This much-loved tale has been adapted into countless films and stage shows with its exploration of human connection, greed, and compassion.

First Edition of A Christmas Carol

Look for the following clues to pick out the first edition copies of A Christmas Carol from the later editions:

• Publisher: Chapman & Hall.
• Publication Date of book: 1843.
• The original edition was illustrated with 4 hand-coloured steel engravings and 4 woodcuts by John Leech.
• A Christmas Carol was first bound in reddish-brown cloth with gilt lettering and blind-stamped decorations.
• The first chapter is marked as “Stave I” instead of “Chapter 1”.
• First editions included “Marley’s Ghost” plate facing p.25, with a greenish tint.
• There are no mentions of later reprints or editions.
• Unlike a lot of Charles Dickens’ other books, A Christmas Carol was published as a single-volume book, instead of a serialised collection.

Rarity and Value

Today, finding an original first-edition copy of A Christmas Carol is very difficult. The first print run of the book comprised around 6000 copies, many of which survived; however, there are still some floating around, just waiting to be found. As might be expected, the value of a true first edition of A Christmas Carol depends heavily on condition; rebound or incomplete copies can be worth between £1000 and £7000, but your copy, in good condition and its original binding, could be worth more than £25,000.

Bleak House (1852–53)

Bleak House follows the seemingly endless court case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, an inheritance lawsuit that drags on for decades. The story follows Esther Summerson, a young woman whose parentage is shrouded in mystery, after she becomes a ward to the gentle John Jarndyce. Throughout the novel, you are introduced to a plethora of characters, while the story touches on themes of justice, secrecy, social inequality, and human resilience.

First Edition Bleak House

To ensure you are looking for the correct, genuine first editions of Bleak House, you will need to keep an eye out for the following clues:

• The original serialized edition came in 20 parts, of which all need to be present for a complete first edition.
• Bleak House contained 40 illustrations by Phiz in the original copies.
• Publication date 1853
• Publisher listed as Bradbury & Evans, Bouverie Street.
• Minor errors, including: “elgble” instead of “eligible” on page 19, line 6.
• Original copies were wrapped in blue-green paper and featured advertisements and publishers' notes.

Rarity and Value

The bound first editions of Bleak House are very rare, often fetching between £500 and £6000 depending on condition. However, a complete first edition of the original serialized novel can be worth over £10,000 due to its extreme rarity and collectability.

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Set during the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities follows the lives of Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat, and Sydney Cole, an English Lawyer, two men who have fallen hopelessly in love with the same woman. Set across both London and Paris, A Tale of Two Cities tracks themes of love, justice, and sacrifice.

First Edition A Tale of Two Cities

Identify a first edition copy of A Tale of Two Cities by finding all of the following clues:

• Date on title page is 1859.
• Publisher: Chapman and Hall, 193 Piccadilly.
• On page 213, the word “affectionately” is misprinted as “affetionately”, spot the missing letter.
• The original edition included 16 illustrations by Phiz.
• Original publishers bound A Tale of Two Cities in red cloth.

Rarity and Value

The value of any first edition copy of A Tale of Two Cities depends on several factors, but primarily on its condition. However, if you have identified all of the above clues in your first edition, you could be looking at a price tag of anywhere between £1000 and £25,000!

Great Expectations (1860–61)

Great Expectations follows Pip, an orphan raised by his sister and brother-in-law. After growing up in the countryside, Pip unexpectedly inherits a mysterious fortune and moves to London to become a gentleman and win the affections of his love, the cold-hearted Estella.

First Edition Great Expectations

Think you've got a first edition copy of Great Expectations? Find all of the following details to confirm that it is genuine:

• True first edition copies of Great Expectations consist of three volumes.
• Each title page is dated 1861
• Publisher is listed as Chapman and Hall, 193 Piccadilly
• Unlike most other Charles Dickens first editions, Great Expectations had no illustrations in the original printing.
• Original copies were bound in a deep purple or maroon cloth binding.
• Each of the three original copies in the first edition contain half-title pages.

Rarity and Value

It's hard to nail down exactly how many copies of Great Expectations were printed in the initial run but its estimates that there were only around 1000 or fewer copies - because of this, true first editions are exceedingly rare and can be worth anywhere in the range of £15,000 to £100,000 for the complete set with original cloth bindings. Rebound or incomplete sets can still be worth up to £25,000 depending on condition.

Our Mutual Friend (1864–65)

Our Mutual Friend follows the scheming plots of John Harmon, a gentleman and heir to a vast fortune. In an effort to discover the true nature of his benefactors, John watches from the shadows when a body is discovered and identified as his. Before long, the vultures descend to get their cut of John's now supposedly ownerless fortune. Throughout the novel, Our Mutual Friend weaves together the stories of multiple characters as it explores themes of money, class, identity, and corruption.

First Edition Our Mutual Friend

Look out for the following clues to help you identify a first edition copy of Our Mutual Friend, but remember, you need to find all of the following details for a genuine first edition:

• The first book form was printed in two volumes.
• Both copies are dated 1865.
• Original books were bound in an olive green or dark green cloth with gilt titles and decoration on the spines and front boards.
• Original serialised copies came with blue-green wrappers with advertisements.
• Misprint on page 115 on line 38 where “very” is misspelled as “verv”.
• Original copies contained 40 wood-engraved illustrations by Marcus Stone.
• The original serialised set was made up of 19 copies.

Rarity and Value

Should you find all of the above first edition clues in your first edition book version of Our Mutual Friend, you should consider yourself lucky, as these copies can be valued at between £1000 and £10,000. However, should you be the proud owner of the original 19 serialised copies that made up the first rendition of Our Mutual Friend, then you could be looking at a value of £7000-£35,000, depending on condition.

What To Do with First Edition Charles Dickens Books

If you think you have a first edition Charles Dickens book sitting on your shelf, the first thing you should do is make sure it is safe and sound. Follow these simple steps to ensure your book doesn’t get damaged:

• Keep out of sunlight
• Keep out of reach of prying hands
• Keep dry
• Avoid damp and mould

How Much Is Your First Edition Charles Dickens Worth?

If you are unsure about anything you have read in this article or you have a first edition Charles Dickens book you want to get valued, send us an email at info@webuybooks.co.uk with your query, and our specialist books team will answer any questions you have.

Sell Your First Edition Charles Dickens Books

Now that you have the expertise to identify a true first edition Charles Dickens book, it's time to put those skills to use and dig out all your old books to see if you are the proud owner of an important piece of literary history. If you decide to sell your copy, WeBuyBooks can provide the perfect solution for you. Our specialist antiquarian team can review your books to give you a more in-depth understanding of what you own and offer you a bespoke price, completely for free.

Don’t worry if your Charles Dickens classic isn’t a first edition; you can still turn it into cash with WeBuyBooks. Let us know what you have and send us a few pictures via info@webuybooks.co.uk, and we'll make you an offer you can’t refuse.

You can also use the WeBuyBooks scanner or catalogue to search for your books. Here's how:

Use the WeBuyBooks app to scan the barcode on your books or enter the ISBN into the search bar.

Get an instant valuation, accept your offer, and pick your payment method.

Box your items, print the postage label, and send them with our designated courier for FREE.

Relax! Once we’ve received your items, we’ll check them and pay you the next day.