<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 01/31/99
000 C000000 0000827773
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 PUTNAM PREMIER INCOME TRUST
001 B000000 811-5452
001 C000000 6172921000
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
011 A000001 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP
011 B000001 8-5088
011 C010001 BOSTON
011 C020001 MA
011 C030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 02110
014 A000001 DELETE
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
015 A000002 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN AND COMPANY
015 B000002 C
015 C010002 BOSTON
015 C020002 MA
015 C030002 02109
015 E010002 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 99
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000001 13-2518466
020 C000001 5
020 A000002 PAINEWEBBER INC
020 B000002 13-2638166
020 C000002 4
020 A000003 FIMAT FUTURES USA INC
020 C000003 3
020 A000004 MORGAN (J. P.) SECURITIES INC
020 B000004 13-3224016
020 C000004 3
020 A000005 BEAR STERNS & CO
020 B000005 13-4946705
020 C000005 2
020 A000006 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC
020 B000006 13-5674085
020 C000006 2
020 A000007 NATIONSBANC MONTGOMERY SEC
020 C000007 2
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 21
022 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000001 13-2518466
022 C000001 1554967
022 D000001 132216
022 A000002 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO
022 B000002 13-5108880
022 C000002 931345
022 D000002 132472
022 A000003 WARBURG DILON READ
022 C000003 638828
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000003 26655
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000004 13-5674085
022 C000004 453925
022 D000004 147183
022 A000005 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
022 C000005 466316
022 D000005 44511
022 A000006 MORGAN (J. P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000006 13-3224016
022 C000006 412819
022 D000006 67270
022 A000007 SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
022 C000007 80347
022 D000007 101689
022 A000008 MORGAN STANLEY DEAN WITTER
022 C000008 74932
022 D000008 36664
022 A000009 DONALDSON LUFKIN & JENRETTE
022 B000009 13-2741729
022 C000009 21274
022 D000009 24020
022 A000010 WEST LB AMERICA
022 C000010 0
022 D000010 35752
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026 G010000 Y
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 B020000 0
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 B020000 0.650
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
074 B000000 23517
074 C000000 17923
074 D000000 1046133
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080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 50000
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<PAGE> PAGE 9
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
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SIGNATURE PAUL BUCAVALAS
TITLE MANAGING DIRECTOR
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED
FROM PUTNAM PREMIER INCOME TRUST AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS
ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> PUTNAM PREMIER INCOME TRUST
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> SEMI
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUL-31-1999
<PERIOD-END> JAN-31-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1,187,338,566
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1,142,548,935
<RECEIVABLES> 40,867,326
<ASSETS-OTHER> 3,057,235
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1,186,473,496
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 34,983,060
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 22,269,388
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 57,252,448
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 1,217,545,018
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 140,572,311
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 140,248,960
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (12,731,164)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (32,180,563)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (43,412,243)
<NET-ASSETS> 1,129,221,048
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 2,170,674
<INTEREST-INCOME> 51,638,799
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 4,772,791
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 49,036,682
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (41,684,274)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (48,866,502)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> (41,514,094)
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (53,054,128)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 323,351
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (91,966,562)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 9,503,711
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (8,713,718)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 3,895,673
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 4,799,323
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1,136,918,666
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 8.71
<PER-SHARE-NII> .35
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (.65)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.38)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 8.03
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .42
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
