[SPECIMEN BOOKS] [PRESIDENTS] [BINDINGS] Presidents of the United States 1789 to 1897 [spine title] White House Vignette. Romaine [cover title] (with portraits signed by Grover Cleveland and FIrst Lady Frances Cleveland)

[n. p.] (but Washington): (U. S. Treasury Department Bureau of Engraving and Printing), 1895. Hardcover. Near fine. Square octavo, 21 numbered leaves of portrait plates, plus four unnumbered. Bound in full crushed navy morocco with elaborate gilt tooling to boards, spine compartments, and edges, with gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, and marbled endpapers. In near fine condition overall, very well-preserved, with a few tiny nicks to the corners, and some scattered internal foxing, mostly at the gutters and borders; and not on the proof images. The first two engravings depict the U. S. Capitol Building and the White House. The last two portraits, of sitting President Grover Cleveland and his wife Frances, are each SIGNED by their subjects in different ink below the images. The main contents consist of extremely well-executed and quite familiar portraits of the presidents; the very portraits that were used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on official U. S. banknotes. These Treasury Department specimen books were produced in very small numbers, and presented to important diplomats, cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and the like. The proof engravings contained within were designed for use on official US banknotes, though some of the images were likely never used on actual money. At the turn of the 21st century, numismatic experts had counted 47 known examples. Several more have come to auction (primarily numismatic) since then, but they remain extremely rare in the trade. No two specimen books are exactly alike. We could trade one example closely matching the contents of ours, however that copy was in a different binding, and did not include the signed portraits of President and Mrs. Cleveland.

The name "Romaine" is stamped on the gilt-stamped morocco label on the front board, and is almost certainly the surname of the intended recipient of this volume, though without any further context nor any bookplates or written provenance, we are unable to identify this person. 

When these books do occasionally come to auction, there is much buzz. It is difficult to imagine a more interesting and treasured sort of volume for anyone who has an interest in numismatics and rare books. A rare chance to own a special volume of American printing history.