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First Edition of Pye

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:170.00 USD Estimated At:250.00 USD
First Edition of Pye
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Pye, Charles. PROVINCIAL COPPER COINS OR TOKENS, ISSUED BETWEEN THE YEARS 1787 AND 1796, ENGRAVED BY CHARLES PYE, OF BIRMINGHAM FROM THE ORIGINALS IN HIS OWN POSSESSION. London: Published for the Engraver, (1794-95). First edition. 8vo, contemporary tan half calf with marbled sides; spine with five raised bands, richly decorated in gilt; green morocco spine label, gilt; red speckled page edges. Finely engraved title with large vignette by Pye; advertisement leaf; iii, (1) page index; 36 finely engraved plates depicting the obverses and reverses of 186 tokens. Binding worn at spine, with joints weak but holding; tail of spine lacking, head starting. Very good or so. An original example of this early classic work on eighteenth century English tokens. The plates are far superior to any of those found in other early works on the topic. The plates are dated 1794 and 1795, though the title page gives the span of coverage as including 1796. Manville 230: “Pye was the first cataloguer of eighteenth century tokens to provide extensive authoritative information about die-sinkers, manufacturers, proprietors, quantities, rarity and varieties.”