Voyage Au Centre De La Terre (Journey to the Center of the Earth) Jules Verne

EXCEEDINGLY RARE FIRST EDITION/EARLY PRINTING. No other 1864 copy for sale that I can find (as of this listing). The true first edition has only come to an established auction 5 times in the past 25 years. The scarce 1867 first illustrated edition sells for $3-4k. This is your opportunity to be one of only a few people in the world who owns a first edition of this Verne classic. ***The very rare first printing would list for $30,000-50,000 in US dollars or even more if one were to come up for sale. Many collectors have waited for years for a copy to surface*** OVERALL CONDITION: VERY GOOD+ Published in 1864 by J. Hetzel (Pierre-Jules Hetzel) in Paris in 1864. In the original French. First edition, early printing as indicated by: 1. Title page with Pierre-Jules Hetzel J H printer device/monogram (to be replaced in later editions with a small vignette by Verne's chief illustrator, Edward Riou). 2. No publication date listed and publisher listed as D Education et De Recreation J. Hetzel, 18, Rue Jacob 3. Anywhere from a third printing through sixth printing as indicated by the printer being listed as L. Toinon & with no edition stated. (The printing number was only listed on the original covers for the third-sixth, and this copy has been rebound). NOTE: the exceptionally rare first issue, an octodecimo 18vo, states "Poupart-Daryl" as the printer. The second printing states second edition according to della Riva. Seventh printings (editions) and beyond are stated. (See della Riva, 1977). Finely bound in contemporary 1/4 black morocco with green corners over marbled paper. Four raised spine bands with spine compartments ruled and tooled in gilt; all edges speckled; marbled endpapers, sewn-in green satin ribbon placeholder (to match the corners). Duodecimo size: 7 inches x 4.75 inches. Collated and complete: [4], 335 with an original blank preceding and following the text. Jules Verne has been the second most-translated author in the world since 1979, ranking below Agatha Christie and above William Shakespeare. He has sometimes been called the "father of science fiction", a title that has also been given to H. G. Wells and Hugo Gernsback. In the 2010s, he was the most translated French author in the world. CONDITION REPORT: VERY GOOD+ Exterior and binding: Square spine, firm hinges and joints, tight pages. Leather and gilt in excellent condition. Rubbing to board edges. A sharp copy - NEAR FINE EXTERIOR. Interior: Most of the text is clean and bright with off-white pages. Toning to pages 182-252 and foxing to pages 219-251. Some mild toning on endpapers. Only a few bent page corners and signs of handling like a margin smudge. A tiny bit of soiling on front blanks. Former owner pencil writing in French on verso of FFEP. Overall, an exceedingly rare first edition, early printing, in a higher-grade collectible condition. Please note: I have been selling rare books for over 12 years and collecting books for over 40 years. I know what it's like to receive items not matching the description or that were poorly packaged and damaged in transit. That is why I offer a 100% satisfaction, money back guarantee, and go to great lengths to accurately describe my rare, signed and collectible books and post pictures of the "actual book." I carefully package and ship your newly acquired treasure(s) and typically ship within 1 business day of receiving your order.