1954-1955 First Edition, First Issue of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Invest Now-
$29,000
Initial Offering Marketing Cap -
$29
Initial Offering Share Price -
#LOTR
Ticker -
06/2020
Initial Offering Date
When J.R.R. Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings in 1954, his publisher worried such “high fantasy” would not sell and insisted it be printed in three volumes to minimize printing costs. Rally’s #LOTR offering contains First Edition, First Impression copies of each of the three volumes of the Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. With less than 3,000, 3,250 and 7,000 copies, respectively, this is a rare chance to invest in the earliest iteration of the fabled franchise.
#LOTR Gallery
“When the time comes to look back at the century, it seems very likely that future literary historians, detached from the squabbles of our present, will see as its most representative and distinctive works books like J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.”
— T.A. Shippey, The New York Times
#LOTR Timeline
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is born in modern-day South Africa.
Jan. 1892
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Tolkien enlists as a second lieutenant in the British Army during World War I.
Jul. 1915
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Tolkien publishes The Hobbit or There and Back Again to widespread critical acclaim, prompting the publisher to request a sequel.
Sep. 1937
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The first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, is published in the U.K by George Allen & Unwin. Only 3,000 copies of the first edition are printed.
Jul. 1954
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The Two Towers, the second volume of the trilogy, is published with 3,240 copies printed.
Nov. 1954
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The third and final book of The Lord of the Rings series, The Return of the King, is published. 7,000 copies are printed in the first issue.
Oct. 1955
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The Lord of the Rings is awarded the International Fantasy Award.
Jan. 1957
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Tolkien earns the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
Mar. 1972
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Tolkien passes away at age 81 in Bournemouth, England.
Sep. 1973
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring, directed by Peter Jackson, premieres.
Dec. 2001
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers premieres.
Dec. 2002
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BBC declares The Lord of the Rings as Britain's best-loved novel of all time, besting legendary works including Nineteen Eighty-Four and Great Expectations.
Apr. 2003
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The Return of the King movie premieres. The film eventually grosses over $1 billion at the box office and wins 5 Golden Globes, 2 Grammys and 11 Academy Awards.
Dec. 2003
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A copy of The Lord of the inscribed by J.R.R. Tolkien in Elvish to the “Queen of the Hobbits” is sold for a record $104,000.
Dec. 2008
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Rally enters into an agreement to acquire #LOTR and offer it on the Rally platform.
Jan. 2020
#LOTR Details
Each copy has an original first impression dustjacket, with light toning to the spines and occasional trivial wear at their extremities. All three dustjackets are unrestored, unclipped, and show their original price. Similar sets of First Edition Lord of The Rings Trilogies have increased by over 5,000% since the 1980’s, with one most recently selling for $38,500 in 2020.
Invest Now| Financials | |
|---|---|
| Price Per Share | $29.00 |
| Number of Shares | 500 |
| Market Cap. | $29,000.00 |
| Storage Location | Rally |
| Asset Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Title (Vol. 1) | The Fellowship of the Ring |
| Title (Vol. 2) | The Two Towers |
| Title (Vol. 3) | The Return of the King |
| Author | John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R.) Tolkien |
| Edition (Vol. 1) | First Edition, First Impression, First State |
| Edition (Vol. 2) | First Edition, First Impression, First State |
| Edition (Vol. 3) | First Edition, First Impression, Second State |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin |
| Publication Date (Vol. 1) | July 29, 1954 |
| Publication Date (Vol. 2) | November 11, 1954 |
| Publication Date (Vol. 3) | October 20, 1955 |
| Rarity (Vol. 1) | 1 of 3,000 |
| Rarity (Vol. 2) | 1 of 3,250 |
| Rarity (Vol. 3) | 1 of 7,000 |
| Binding | Hardcover |
| Book Condition | Unrestored |
| Dust Jacket | Original First Impression, Unrestored |
