Gulliver’s Travels
London: Benjamin Mott, 1726. First Edition. Full morocco. 2 vols. 1st edition, 1st printing, Terrink’s A (Terrink’s AA and B are reprints), with the 1st state portrait frontispiece (no lettering around the oval frame), and only the first 50 sets off the press had the portrait in the 1st state (50 of the slightly later large paper copies, hereafter abbreviated “l.p.” also had the 1st state portrait, but copies of our regular paper issue, hereafter called “trade” not only precede it, but are rarer. See paragraph 2 right after “Reference” for corroboration of this priority). Lush 19th century full green morocco (levant), gilt inner dentelles, edges gilt, signed in gilt by Wallis, spines faded, 2 inner blank margins indiscernibly strengthened at the time of binding, else fine condition, a tall, clean, extraordinary copy, with all the divine beauty of differential calculus, and it’s a complete one with every map, plate and plan. Bound in at the back of vol. I is a key to the roman à clef (the anagrams used in the Lilliputian debates). No slipcase or box, and none seems needed, as our set is stately, fulfilling, and all quality, set against homely sets with less life than a fried shrimp, but surrounded by a fancy slipcase, much in the same way that honeysuckle is planted around an outhouse. A highborn set, 25 times as rare as one of the later pretenders with the 2nd state portrait for twice the price, and when books are 25 times as rare for twice the price, it confirms that the bargains remain at the top of a highly inefficient book market, just don’t believe that such inefficiency will always be the norm, or that such books will always be available. And here’s a clear and unambiguous axiom that you can file under “Book Code.” The best copies of the greatest novels don’t always go up in value the fastest, but that’s the way to invest. Reference: Terrink, 289. Grolier/English, 42. Rothschild, 2104–6. Printing and the Mind of Man, 185. Fine. Item #259
Price:
$150,000.00