While scanning the following auction I noticed something unusual:

cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem& ... gory=44112

If you look at the second image, you see that the maps are in black ink. Some bells went off (they may have just been my alarm clock and I was dreaming, but I digress) and I checked the Acaeum and its descriptions for G series both foreign and domestic. The Acaeums description for the UK version states that the G1 has "maps on the inside cover are in black (not blue) ink." This would mean that this could be an unknown printing (yay!).

I checked the two copies of G1 that I had handy, a first print and a fourth print, and the first print was also in black ink and the fourth print was blue. So, I am making a call out to the fair and noble D&D collecting community to check what copies of G1 that they may have to see if there are any out there with black ink (non-first print) and if there are any lizard logo prints with blue ink. If there are, then:

1. (lizard logo with blue ink) There is now another print not mentioned by the Acaeum: a G1 with black ink that could be listed as a true first print. This would be based on the assumption that they started with black and then switched to blue, because

2. the first print G1 is the only monochrome US module that has its maps printed in black ink (G2-3, D1-3, C1, S1-2, T1, and B1 all have blue ink).

Even if there are no G1 first prints with blue ink, the Acaeum should add the statement in the above #2 to the G1 first print description.

Thanks for any help with this,

-PD

Since writing down the above I gave a call to a collectibles store and I also dug out another first print of G1 and both my extra copy and the one at the collectibles store are black inked. I think it appears that all first print G1's are in black ink and should probably be noted as such. Anyone out there with a second print and a confirmation that it is blue (as I imagine it will be).

-PD

my 2nd print and beyond are blue

Mike