This book was listed for sale for years by an Oxfordshire bookshop. The owner asked me who SRT might be; he thought it might have been S.R.T.O. (Simonne) d'Ardenne, but I replied I wasn't so sure. (I'm pretty sure the signature isn't Tolkien's, either. Since when did he sign his name with only one 'R'?)

As it happens, a glance at the Scull-Hammond Chronology shows that Tolkien didn't become d'Ardenne's supervisor until 1932. So, it ain't her!

No, it's not d'Ardenne, but we can't think who it might be either -- perhaps one of the Oxford students he was tutoring around that time, or a friend in the Exeter College Essay Club? The handwriting is Tolkien's, anyway, his earlier, less disciplined script: compare, for instance, the page from The Fall of Gondolin in The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two, and the 1913 inscription reproduced in J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend, p. 27. The latter is signed 'John Reuel Tolkien', so only one 'R', as it were, in that case.

Wayne & Christina

I thought I had seen this before, the book was until recently for sale on Abebooks by Jonkers Books in Henley with a sale price of $1633.50, half the current bids on eBay.

This is the description from Jonkers

Book Description: Blackwell, 1920. First edition. Original grey paper wrappers with title labels on spine and upper cover. INSCRIBED BY TOLKIEN: "S.R.T. / Because he doesn’t, / either to you or me, / I do to you / J.R.T. 22.2.20". A very good copy with slight creasing to the oversized portions of the wrapper. We have been unable establish the identity of the recipient of the book. It is likely to be a friend or fellow writer. At the time Blackwell was Tolkien’s publisher so perhaps both expected complimentary copies and, as none were forthcoming, Tolkien obliged.

This description makes a lot more sense than flatsigned.

Up for auction is THE MOST RARE of all Tolkien Collectibles I have ever seen! This auction is for a book from Tolkien's own personal book collection with secret message to a secret person! The person's last name begin's with a "T" so most logical to me, it must be a "Tolkien" family member! The book is entitled LONDON SONNETS. After an exhaustive search, we have not been able to locate any copy of this book even! Author: WOLFE, Humbert Publisher: Blackwell Description: First edition. Original grey paper wrappers with title labels on spine and upper cover.

If he had looked on Abebooks he would have found this copy.

https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/9724 ... %2526x%253D80%2526y%253D8

Some have told me this is worth at least ten to twenty thousand. But, you decide...VERY REASONABLE RESERVE AUCTION....A FRACTION OF THIS VALUE STATED!

I think it is worth what he paid for it, which is probably less than the asking price from Jonkers.

Thanks for the info, Findegil and Trotter

>thumbs up<

It has been relisted with a buy it now price of $8889, only $7200 approx more than they paid for it, what a bargain.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JRR-Tolkien-SIG ... tible?hash=item20b05a6cd7

Flatsigned have included a bigger picture of the inscription.

e in he is underlined as is I, any thoughts on why? did he mean i.e. ? which is (id est (that is))??

Sorry, just a quick note (I haven't quite read the latter posts), getting back to the Silmarillion with CJRT signed sticker --did I miss something? $2,200 (~£1,447)!?

BH

Yes, that's a silly price for a Silmarillion - and Christopher's autograph can't be worth as much as that, can it? (no offence to CT)

As for the Wolfe book - words fail one, don't they?

I agree, Christopher Tolkien's signatures are currently quite easy to acquire, I think I have 8 or 9 in my collection. Christopher Tolkien has signed a lot more book plates and books than his father.

You can get a signed copy by Christopher Tolkien for £245 from the HarperCollins website.

http://www.tolkien.co.uk/Pages/Produc ... s.aspx?ISBN=9780007252244

OK this is an earlier example of his signature, but £1200 more!!!

That's still expensive - I bought a one - off signed book for £35.00, not so many years ago. Just luck I expect. Though if anyone were to ask me what's a good price for a CT signature, I'd have to admit I don't know.

It has been relisted with a buy it now price of $8889, only $7200 approx more than they paid for it, what a bargain.

This book has been relisted again

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/JRR-Tolkien-SIG ... tible?hash=item1e5b6dc9a5

The most rare book ever now has no reserve and seems to be a loss maker on the price paid to Jonkers, oh dear, it was way over the original price paid but unsold last time.

Could be a good buy as we are certain the signature (initials) are real.