Catalogue De La Bibliothéque Et Du Cabinet De Médailles

The Hague: [Amsterdam, Allart and Co. for] C. Mensing et al., 1807. Contemporary calf-backed and tipped speckled boards (rubbed, joints of Vol. II split at the crown), flat spines covered in blooms and foliage, gilt red and yellow morocco labels. INTERLEAVED. The private numismatic library and spectacular coin and medal collection of the first Dutch antiquarian bookseller. THIS SET NEATLY RECORDS EVERY PRICE AND BUYER IN MANUSCRIPT ON THE INTERLEAVED BLANKS.
 Damme vocationally devoted himself exclusively to old books and manuscripts. He organized auctions and counted Thomas Jefferson a customer. Over fifty years, Damme amassed more than 5700 gold, silver and bronze ancient and modern coins and medals and assembled a superb supporting library on numismatics, archaeology, antiquities and collecting. The book entries often cite bibliographies and note provenance and annotation. The coins and medals are ranked from "R" for rare to "RRRR" for unica.
 The present manuscript annotations allow a detailed social and commercial analysis of both sales. The trade dominated the dispersal of the books, which totaled fl. 4214 for 1400 lots. In contrast, the coins and medals were hotly contested by collectors, the newly established National Coin Collection (spending lavishly) and dealers. The 5650 lots brought fl. 82,792. This set is a gold mine. In excellent condition, mostly uncut.
¶La Fontaine Verwey, "P. van Damme, the first Dutch antiquarian bookseller" in Theatrum Orbis Librorum...presented to Nico Israel edd. Croiset van Uchelen et al. (1989) 416-436.