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1747 Pembroke Book -

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Paper Money - United States Start Price:2,500.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
1747 Pembroke Book -
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A Major Numismatic Literary Discovery Exceptionally Rare Numismatic Collection Catalog of the Earl of Pembroke with detailed engraved prints of Early World Coins, Inclusive of North America’s first coins. 1747. Martin Folkes Copy. Numismata Antiqua in tres partes divisia (divided into three parts); Thomas Pembrochiae et Montis Gomerici Comes; Prelo denum mandabantur A.D. MDCCXLVI (1746). Published in London, though none is noted. There is no introductory text. Index by Joseph Ames. 308 leaves plus 8pp index, all hand numbered in pencil, plus an unnumbered partial page of text at the rear. Each page is a single engraving of many coins, showing obverse and reverse or each, as well as edge lettering. The engravings are annotated in pencil showing lot number and sale price from the landmark 1848 auction of the collection. This volume was presented and inscribed to Martin Folkes, student of Isaac Newton and President of the Royal Society in 1747 from the Ninth Earl of Pembroke and is specifically inscribed to him, thanking him for editing the plates. Additional detailed annotations on each page accompany the work. Thomas Pembroke The 8th Earl of Pembroke (Thomas) was a major coin collector, possibly the world’s premier collector of his time. He died in 1733, and his son Henry, the 9th Earl of Pembroke memorialized his massive and important collection with this volume. Henry Pembroke died in 1750. Martin Folkes Martin Folkes was born in 1690 in London. Born into wealth, he never needed a job. As a very bright student, he studied under Isaac Newton. Newton appointed him as one of his Vice Presidents of the Royal Society in 1724 (some reports say 1723). When Newton died, Folkes tried to succeed his teacher and mentor, but had to wait until 1741 to be elected president of the Royal Society. Folkes was a major collector and author of numismatics. He published “dissertations on the weights and values of ancient coins”, “A table of English Gold Coins for the 18th Year of King Edward III” among other books and articles. As of press time, we were unable to find a comprehensive list of his works. He was also elected president of the Society of Antiquities in 1750. But one year later, he suffered a debilitating stroke. Folkes died in 1754. A memorial to Folkes was constructed in Westminster Abbey. As a researcher, Folkes amassed a tremendous library during his lifetime. The library was sold beginning on February 2, 1756 for forty consecutive days by Samuel Baker in London, and included this book. Book Specifics: Binding title: Pembroke’s Coins. Binding professionally restored. Bookplate: Usque Fidelis/ TJ A Rear (verso) of fly paper facing title page is adhered a 3 x 5” engraving of a Comes medal with notations by Pembroke. Front Endpage embossing (stamp): Pembroke crest (?) in gold leaf. Adhered at top is a cutout of the auction catalog in which this volume was sold, circa 1850-1900. “This copy is quite complete, with Ames’ index, which are sometimes deficient.” Contemporary leather binding with six raised spine bands, gilt stamped decorations on front cover, now obscured. Spine title “Pembroke’s Coins” in gilt. Marbled edges. Dark blue/turquoise endpapers. This very rare volume appears to have been published in several different forms. An internet search has revealed three different formats, a two volume treatise, the full four volume tome in a single volume (with and without the index), and a separate fourth volume. The completed work is so rare that little is written about the various printed and bound editions. This volume contains an important pen & ink note attached to the last page after the index. The text on the top of this page instructs the reader and owner of the book to “Number your encreasing Leaves with a pencil or Ink, from 1 to 308 inclusive; then you will readily find the printed parts, and tables answer to it” Just below this is attached the inscribed note: 1747 My Much Honored Friend Martin Folkes Esquire Is desired to accept of this Copy of my father’s medals and coins for poor Acknow- ledgement for the great Trouble he has had in correc- ting the plates for the press Etc etc. From his most ob- Liged friend and Humble Servant Pembroke A pencil note at the top of the page contains the name of Goddard Johnsen, who owned the book sometime after Folkes. It was perhaps retained in his family up through the time the collection was sold by Sotheby’s over three weeks in 1848. Catalogs of the collection sale are known. Goddard Johnsen was perhaps a numismatic curator. There are comments throughout regarding many issues, including possible counterfeits (noted as “false”). The notations are of such high caliber in content, that it suggests that Johnsen must have been a prominent British numismatist. American Colonial Coins: Pembroke shows a number of American Colonial coins. Among these are the Carolina elephant, four different Massachusetts pine tree coins, 1652 Massachusetts coin, two Baltimore Maryland coins and a plantation token. Additional Discussion: Copies of the book are difficult to locate. The American Numismatic Society has an incomplete copy with xeroxed index. The American Numismatic Association Library does not have a copy in any form. The Morgan Library had a copy at one time, as recorded in the ANS Library notes, but it is not in the current Morgan Library online catalog. The OCLC Online World Catalog lists 113 entries, nearly all of which are electronic versions, underlying the importance of the work. The book is available through Amazon digital reprint, hence the large count in OCLC. A two volume set sold in 2007, and a single volume sold in 2010, both for undisclosed amounts. Inquiries were made of this book with numerous advanced Ancient coin dealers and collectors. I immediately found that there are two distinct and different collecting communities in Ancient and early European coins: the coin collectors and the researchers, and the two rarely meet. Of the dealers I spoke to or emailed, not a single one had heard of Pembroke, nor were interested in early research materials, which I found quite fascinating in itself. Of advanced researchers, few had heard of the work. Wayne Homren, editor of Esylum, published a blog on Pembroke’s fourth volume, which contains the early North American coins. Readers David Gladfelter and Douglas Saville contributed important pertinent information, particularly concerning the American Colonial issues, which are the earliest illustrations of American Colonial coins with a single exception (St. Patrick farthing in Evelyn, 1697). Eric Newman wrote an article on the Good Samaritan Shilling (P4, plate 14) (1959) in which he described a possible fake copy that did not exactly match the coin in Pembroke’s collection. The lack of information coupled with the general inaccessibility of the work lends credence to the fact that it is exceptionally rare. As the first (with one exception) printed work illustrating American Colonial coins, it is a mandatory part of any major numismatic library. - HKA#64338