Numismata Typographica: or, The Medallic History of Printing

'Printers' Register' Office, London, first book edition "reprinted from the Printers' Register", 1883. Edition of "a very limited number" - from the preface. Contemporary green half-morocco and marbled boards, gilt spine-title, marbled endpapers, 4to, 27.5 cm. xvii, 1 blank leaf, 144 pp, occasional text illustrations, 24 lithographic plates. A rare and interesting work by the printer and bibliographer William Blades in which he aims " to give a descriptive list of Medals connected with Printers or the Art of Printing, accompanied by such illustrative remarks as may be deemed instructive or interesting. These medals are much more numerous and of much greater importance than any one at first would believe; and no attempt has hitherto been made to edit them, although they open up the whole field of historical and practical printing, and without any metaphor may be described as containing in themselves a complete history of the art." Blades' work was based very largely on his own unrivalled collection of Printing Medals, and it has never been superseded. Blades addresses his subject under the following heads: I. Festival Medals; struck in memory of jubilees, centenaries, &c. II. Personal Medals in honour of individual Printers or of particular Printing-offices. III. Guild Medals; issued by Printers' Guilds or Associations. IV. Press Medals; referring to the freedom of the Press, or in memory of important typographical works. V.Trade Tokens, Jettons, &c., including any which cannot easily be classed under the former heads. Small stamp of the Birmingham Assay Office Library on front free endpaper, slightly rubbed and a little worn at extremities and with some small scrapes to the leather, front hinge slightly cracked; bump to fore-edge of rear board, contents Very Good: a well-preserved copy of a rare item.