The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper Value Guide

This late 19th-century edition of The Last of the Mohicans represents a significant piece of American literary history published by the prolific Hurst & Company of New York. As the most famous installment of the Leatherstocking Tales, these affordable cloth-bound editions allowed Cooper's 1757 frontier narrative to reach a mass audience during the Victorian era.

What Is The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper Worth?

The typical price range for The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper is $40 - $60 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• The condition of the cloth binding, specifically looking for fraying at the spine ends and corners which reduces value.
• The presence of any unique cover art or gilt lettering that distinguishes this Hurst printing from their more basic utility editions.
• Internal cleanliness, as foxing, ink signatures from previous owners, or torn pages can lower the $40-$60 price range.
• The structural integrity of the hinge and binding, which is vital for late 19th-century mass-produced paperbacks and hardcovers.

How to Identify The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper?

• Check the title page for the 'Hurst & Company, Publishers, New York' imprint, typically active in this style during the late 1800s.
• Examine the cloth binding for decorative Victorian-era stamping or embossed patterns common to Hurst's popular fiction series.
• Verify the presence of the Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy sequence, often listed in the front matter or advertisements at the back of the book.
• Look for the specific paper quality; these editions used wood-pulp paper that often shows characteristic browning or foxing due to age.

History of The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

First published in 1826, The Last of the Mohicans is a historical novel by James Fenimore Cooper. It is the second and most famous installment in the Leatherstocking Tales pentalogy. The story is set in 1757, during the French and Indian War, and follows the adventures of Hawkeye, a white frontiersman, and his Mohican companions. The novel explores themes of colonialism, wilderness, and the clash of cultures during a pivotal period in American history. Hurst & Company was a prominent American publisher of popular fiction and juvenile literature from the late 19th to the early 20th century, often producing affordable editions of classic works.