thumb|Deluxe presentation copy of [[Matthew Parker's De antiquitate Britannicæ ecclesiæ for Queen Elizabeth I]]
A presentation copy is a copy of a book that has been presented, usually by the author or someone associated with the book's production, to another individual. The copy usually contains a presentation inscription identifying it as a presentation copy, such as an author's signature. A simple Latin inscription is ex dono authoris ("from the author's gift"). In manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, a presentation copy often contained a presentation miniature, a small painting depicting the author giving a copy to a recipient.
A dedication copy is a copy presented to the dedicatee. They rank highly among presentation copies in collectors' estimations. An inscribed copy is not a presentation copy, but is signed by the author at the book owner's request. Presentation copies are generally more valuable and rarer than inscribed copies. Even presentation copies vary in value depending on their closeness to the author. The most valuable are those that have the author's dated autograph from the time of publication.