Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Price: US$250.00 + shipping
Condition: Good
Description: Twain's first appearance in a national magazine. Wraps with edgewear, tears to front wrap edge expertly closed. Twain is not named in this issue, but in the later bound issues of the magazine, the contents pages listed him as "Mark Swain." It would be until almost a decade later that Twain would become a nationally known name after the publication of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in 1876.
Seller: Graver & Pen Rare Books, Midland, MI, U.S.A.
Price: US$379.95 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Entire issue, December, 1866, in original wraps, very light general wear-only, overall very clean and bright, with untrimmed edges, and a few tiny faded blue ink splashes near bottom edge. The author's first appearance in a national magazine, published before his first book, and after his story The Jumping Frog of Calavares County appeared in a NY newspaper, The Saturday Press, in 1865. In the single issue of Harper's, Twain was not credited, but he is noted as "Mark Swain" in the contents page that accompanies bound volumes. This item is most often found in bound volumes; this is the original, single issue, in unusually nice shape.
Seller: Legacy Books II, Louisville, KY, U.S.A.
Price: US$437.50 + shipping
Description: Half dark brown morocco with marbled boards and matching morocco corners. Notable for containing Mark Twain's first appearance in print in a national magazine, predating his first book. Published anonymously in the individual issues, the story is attributed in the table of contents to "Mark Swain," as Twain had yet to gain national recognition, though his Jumping Frog story was just beginning to spread in newspapers throughout America.
Seller: Charles Agvent, est. 1987, ABAA, ILAB, Fleetwood, PA, U.S.A.
Price: US$450.00 + shipping
Condition: Fair
Description: Single bound issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine No. 199 December 1866. Notable for the inclusion of "Forty Three Days In An Open Boat" (pp 104-113), now recognized as the first appearance of Mark Twain in a national magazine. (Noted apparently as Mark Swain in the list of contributors). This copy in relatively poor condition with some substantial soiling, chipping to edges and other general wear. However, still bound with most of the spine intact. Not often found as a separate issue, it is much more common for this to be found as part of a bound set of twelve issues.
Seller: Derringer Books, Member ABAA, Avon, CT, U.S.A.
Price: US$900.00 + shipping
Description: Twain's first appearance in a national magazine. Light chipping to the edges, mild soiling and foxing to pages, spine is completely gone. A good+ copy. ; Octavo.
Seller: Parigi Books, Vintage and Rare, Schenectady, NY, U.S.A.
Price: US$1250.00 + shipping
Description: Original printed wraps. Usually found, when at all, in the bound volume with other issues, this is very scarce in original wraps and notable for containing Mark Twain's first appearance in print in a national magazine, predating his first book. Published anonymously in the individual issues, the story is attributed in the table of contents in the bound volumes to "Mark Swain," as Twain had yet to gain national recognition, though his Jumping Frog story was just beginning to spread in newspapers throughout America. Housed in a gilt-lettered red morocco leather slipcase. Contents clean; some paper lacking at the spine tips and chunk lacking from rear cover repaired with tissue paper. Very Good and scarce in wraps, housed in a Fine slipcase
Seller: Charles Agvent, est. 1987, ABAA, ILAB, Fleetwood, PA, U.S.A.