>> Well, 0.104 must have been the last version before 0.999.

My feeling as well, but this doesn't square with your earlier message at all,
in which you said

>> If I remember correctly, the version number of the first public review
>> draft (mid-1995) was bumped up to 0.98 to covey the image of being
>> almost finished, while still leaving room for revisions.  The second
>> public version (November 1995) was then called 0.999 and officially
>> published in TUGboat 16#4.

My point is: the TeX-live-2 version is dated "April 1997", one and a half
years after "the second public version (November 1995)", yet has a version
number 0.1 something, not 0.9 something.  Something very strange is going
on here...

** Phil.

P.S. No signs of a PDF version on CTAN, which is why I am using the TeX-live-2
version...