Very good copy of one of the rarest books of children's literature, also known as ' The Holy Grail' for Potter collectors. Only 500 copies of the first hardback of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone were published, 300 of which were distributed directly to libraries, and only 200 copies were sold privately. This is one of these extremely rare latter copies. 

The book was given to the previous owner in the year of publication 1997, when she was only 7 years old. It remained with her and her family for the next 25 years. This is a book originally bought not as an investment - as it’s future value was simply unknown in 1997 - but as a gift to be enjoyed, loved and treasured. It is not a  library copy to be used by the general public, but a personal copy, with all the personality of such a book: cherished, kept at home, affectionately read and sharing space with other books, casting its magic around the household and firing up the imagination of the young seven-year old. 

This extremely rare book comes with a very scarce signed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone illustrated bookplate. The latter is combined with a letter from J.K. Rowling’s office.

Printing number line: 10 - 1; Wendy Cooling quote to the front cover; '1 wand' twice on page 53; 'Philospher's' on the back cover; 'Wizardry and Witchcraft' [rather than 'Witchcraft and Wizardry'] to the back cover. No Dust Jacket as issued. Dedication with the date November 14, 1997, on the title page from parents to their 7-year-old daughter; below that is the name of the original owner in blue felt-tip pen. There are a couple of small dents to the front cover, and there is a small, light circular stain on page 84. 

For conservation purposes, the pages of the book have been made acid-free by a renowned conservator, from whom a certificate is issued. The lifespan of the book has increased fivefold thanks to this intensive treatment, protecting the pages from decay. In addition,  Marchelma van Breugel, the worlds leading expert on modern paper conservation and restoration, did  some minor restoration work to the covers of the book, with an amazing result.

The book is housed in a contemporary storage box with an inlaid image, lined with moleskin inside.

The scarce signed bookplate is accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity (LoA) from Adam Houston (TheHarryPotterSpecialist), the world's sole J.K. Rowling signature expert and an informative collector's card that provides additional details.

On request a PDF file with an extensive presentation is available. A bound hardcover of this very informative presentation is included in the sale.