Preview: First Edition, First State hardback of Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic coming to Lichfield auction

Sale date Monday 30th November

A 'HOLY grail of modern fantasy collecting' has been consigned for auction in Lichfield.

A First Edition First State copy of The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett goes under the hammer with Richard Winterton Auctioneers on Monday, November 30.

The 1983 Colin Smythe hardback edition introduced readers to  the Discworld universe, the setting for Pratchett's acclaimed 41-novel satirical fantasy series.

However, the first edition is also highly coveted due to its minuscule print run and unique dust jacket error.

St Martin's Press in New York printed 4,540 copies of the book under their own US imprint and at the same time printed an additional 506 copies on behalf of UK publisher Colin Smythe.

Of those 506 UK hardback copies, approximately 400 were distributed directly to public libraries, leaving around 106 copies for  public retail.

Then there is the front flap error and the 'two states'.

Because St Martin's Press handled the physical printing of the dust jackets for both regions, the American publishers wrote the summary blurb for the inner front flap. However, their text included errors spotted by Colin Smythe upon receiving the finished dust jackets in the UK.

To fix it without wasting the jackets or restarting production, he printed correction labels with completely revised text to paste over the errors.

This created two distinct collectable 'states' for the UK jackets, with the elusive 'First State' referring to the few copies that escaped the warehouse without the correction sticker, leaving the original erroneous text exposed.

Only a handful are believed to exist.

"This is a rare opportunity for Sir Terry Pratchett fans and book collectors to own a piece of Discworld publishing history," said a spokesman for Richard Winterton Auctioneers.

"Finding any original 1983 Colin Smythe hardback is difficult, but a true 'First State' copy is exceptionally scarce.

"This example is well-thumbed but in fair condition and retains the original dust jacket without the corrective overlay.

"It is a true holy grail of modern fantasy collecting."

Sir Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was one of the world's most beloved English authors, humorists, and satirists, best known for creating the expansive Discworld universe, a flat, circular planet balanced on the backs of four giant elephants who stand atop a massive cosmic turtle.

The First Edition First State copy of The Colour of Magic goes under the hammer on Monday, November 30.

The auction starts at 9am and people can bid live in the room, go online or get in touch for a pre-arranged telephone bid.

The catalogue can be viewed online a week before the sale via our Auction Calendar.

View in person at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, between 10am and 4pm on Friday, November 27.

For more information, to arrange a free valuation of all types of collectables, or to enquire about a home visit for large collections or house clearances, email [email protected] or call 01543 251081.