Darwin (Charles) On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, second edition, second issue with "fifth thousand" on title, half-title, folding lithograph diagram, 32pp. publisher's catalogue dated January 1860 at end, hinges broken, original blind-stamped cloth, spine gilt, overall a sharp, near-fine copy, preserved in modern cloth drop-back box, [Freeman 376], 8vo, 1860.

⁂ The first edition had a print run of only 1250 copies and was sold out in a day. The book was republished in a printing of only 3000 copies literally within days of the first issuance. Darwin himself considered this edition "little more than a reprint of the first edition".

A very nice and completely unsophisticated copy of "the most influential scientific work of the nineteenth century" and "the most important biological work ever written" (Horblit, Freeman).