J R R Tolkien The Lord of the Rings First Deluxe Edition 1963 I have pleasure in offering for sale this lovely set of three books by Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers & The Return of the King. This is the first deluxe set of the Lord of the Rings issued by George Allen & Unwin and bound by Jarrold & Sons in 1963. The three volumes were bound in black buckram and issued in a slipcase illustrated by Pauline Baynes. Limited to less than 1000 copies it is now one of the most prized items in most Tolkien collections. The rare aspect of this sale is the original slipcase. This is unusual as the case was produced too small for the books and many just spilt, fell apart and were disposed of thus making original boxes a rare find indeed. So to the detail: The books themselves are in the original black boards. A few light handling/wear /rubbing/scuff marks as expected. The spine gilding is faded and rubbed particularly on The Return of the King. A little splitting/loss to spine top on Two Towers and one closed tear to one page in Return of the King. The maps and ribbons in each are present. Now the good bit- the slipcase. Firstly it is absolutely original and not a copy. As expected it has had a few minor corner knocks and marks but overall in good condition considering how fragile these are. The illustrations themselves are slightly faded but still colourful and looking great. Photos don’t really do this great artwork justice. So overall a very rare 60+ year old set and with the original slipcase.As always I have tried to describe the items as much as possible to make sure you know what you are buying. The photos speak a 1000 more words but if anyone wants further information/photos please let me know. These books will be sent very well packed and by special delivery (tracked). Payment within 3 days please. Thanks Relisted due to time wasters.Please ensure you can pay for item once purchased Thanks