What is the difference between an issue and a state?

Rare Books · Revised 3 August 2026

Eighteenth-century calf-bound quarto volumes with gilt spines, one open on a foam cradle

A state records a change made to the printing surface or setting during production; an issue records a deliberate republication of the sheets with a changed title page or imprint. Both bear on priority and therefore on value, and our catalogue entries identify them precisely.

Share

If this answer does not address your circumstances, write to us. Enquiries are reviewed individually and answered in writing.

Related questions

Related guides

An early printed folio open at a woodcut illustration beside a marbled slipcase

4 min read

Collecting Rare Books

A grounding in the vocabulary and habits of book collecting: how editions and issues differ, why collation matters, what a binding tells you, and how to build a collection with a coherent shape.

Read the guide