The Sign of Four

London: Spencer Blackett, 1890. First edition. Near Fine. First edition in book form, second issue binding, with foot of spine reading “Griffith Farran & Co.s. Standard Library.” Octavo (7 1/2 x 5 inches; 190 x 127 mm.). [4], 283, [1, blank] pp. Frontispiece by Charles Kerr, with tissue guard. With the numeral “138” on the contents page incomplete and reading “13,” as usual, and with “wished” appearing as “w shed” on p. 56, line 16. "The [remaining] sheets of the first edition were reissued by Griffith Farran and Company with the original [Spencer Blackett] title-page. The covers are the same though the imprint at the foot of the spine reads: "Griffith Farran & C.o.s/Standard/Library " Dark brown endpapers. Issued 1891. There are 8 pp. of publisher's advertisements in some copies, though not all. (Green & Gibson, p. 34). All edges uncut. Publisher's dark red fine-ribbed cloth blocked in black with front cover and spine lettered in gilt. Dark brown coated end-papers. The bare minimum of rubbing to corners and spine extremities, the original endpapers fine, inner hinges untouched. Spine just a bit toned, but a Near Fine copy overall.

The Sign of the Four (also called The Sign of Four) is Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes story after A Study in Scarlet. The genre blending murder mystery-adventure-romance follows Holmes and Watson as they search for Miss Mary Morstan’s missing father and lost treasure. First published in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine (1890), the novel was soon released in book form. Initially receiving only moderate success, after the publication of the stories in Adventures (1892) and Memoirs (1894) its popularity soared.

Green and Gibson A7a.i. Near Fine.