The Prince and the Pauper – Mark Twain – 1882 1st American Edition – Scarce Original Sheep Binding
 
A very good copy of the 1882 First American Edition of Mark Twain’s third novel, The Prince and the Pauper, here in the scarce publisher’s full sheep binding. BAL 3402. This copy carries the Franklin Press imprint on the copyright page, confirming first‑edition status. The three well‑known textual errors were corrected by Osgood sometime between the second and fifth printings—no definitive sequence is known—placing this copy most likely in the second or very early printing.
 
Published by subscription by James R. Osgood of Boston in several binding styles, including cloth, three‑quarter Morocco, three‑quarter calf, and the premium full sheep offered here. Illustrated with 192 black‑and‑white drawings by Frank Thayer Merrill, John Harley, and Ludvig Sandöe Ipsen.
 
8vo, 411 pages (21.5x16 cm). Publisher’s original sheep with a new matching leather spine, retaining the original spine labels. Refreshed marbled endpapers matching the originals. Moderate rubbing and a few scrapes to the binding; corners bumped and rubbed. Some creasing to the lower corner of a few pages and scattered soiling/toning to several leaves. Text block remains sound.
 
A Scarce Binding, Increasingly Elusive - Full sheep copies of The Prince & the Pauper have become genuinely scarce, especially in sound condition. This example offers an appealing blend of authenticity, structural stability, and period charm—an excellent addition to any Twain collection or 19th‑century American literature shelf.