Fluctuations in the Price of Gold in 1863 -
J. P. Howard
1863 - Snyder, New York - Entered according to an act of Congress in the year 1863 by J.P.Howard in the Clerk&rsquo
These are extraordinary times, and extraordinary measures must be resorted to in order to save our Government, and preserve our nationality.'
Obama? Trump? No, Governor Spaulding presenting a draft of the 'First Legal Tender Act' which President Lincoln signed in February 1862, in order to issue a 'limited' $150,000 of new treasury notes. The birth of the US dollar note as we know it and the first of three rounds over 24 months, which saw the limit rise to US$450,000. Why? To pay off enormous Government debt, caused by expenditure on the military, and also to counter the loss of faith in Government paper.
Here you have an extremely scarce original 1.5 metre long chart of gold prices over this period from January 1862 up to September 1863 (dimensions 150 x 45.5 cm). With notations of current events added (Iron Clad attack on Fort Sumter, Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of Gettysburg, Surrender at Fort Hudson (the lowest point of the year), etc.). Folded and enclosed in the printer’s original gilt titled green cloth covers. In addition, tipped inside the front cover is a contemporary facsimile of a chart (37.8 x 22.6 cm) showing the fluctuation of iron, flour, and cotton prices from 1834-1859.
The gold chart follows the sharp fluctuations in the value of gold from 101 in January 1862 to a peak of 171 in March 1863. They dropped to 123 on the Surrender of Port Hudson on July 18th. Recovering and continuing up as the variation in prices tempted speculators and investors to buy gold bullion in order to protect against a decline in the value of the freshly printed paper money.
In the following years this rise continued until 1869, the first 'Black Friday' and the collapse of gold over a period of 48 hours, caused by one highly influential finance house with political assistance cornering the market, and a subsequent surge in Gold prices, the threat of flooding the market with Treasury owned gold (which they didn't actually have), the failed attempts to convert gold holdings (on paper), bank runs, riots, investors and speculators wiped out, stock market plummets, economy weakens and the rest is history, which yes does have a habit of repeating itself....
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Price HK$ 60,000
1863 - Snyder, New York - Entered according to an act of Congress in the year 1863 by J.P.Howard in the Clerk&rsquo
These are extraordinary times, and extraordinary measures must be resorted to in order to save our Government, and preserve our nationality.' Obama? Trump? No, Governor Spaulding presenting a draft of the 'First Legal Tender Act' which President Lincoln signed in February 1862, in order to issue a 'limited' $150,000 of new treasury notes. The birth of the US dollar note as we know it and the first of three rounds over 24 months, which saw the limit rise to US$450,000. Why? To pay off enormous Government debt, caused by expenditure on the military, and also to counter the loss of faith in Government paper.
Here you have an extremely scarce original 1.5 metre long chart of gold prices over this period from January 1862 up to September 1863 (dimensions 150 x 45.5 cm). With notations of current events added (Iron Clad attack on Fort Sumter, Battle of Chancellorsville, Battle of Gettysburg, Surrender at Fort Hudson (the lowest point of the year), etc.). Folded and enclosed in the printer’s original gilt titled green cloth covers. In addition, tipped inside the front cover is a contemporary facsimile of a chart (37.8 x 22.6 cm) showing the fluctuation of iron, flour, and cotton prices from 1834-1859.
The gold chart follows the sharp fluctuations in the value of gold from 101 in January 1862 to a peak of 171 in March 1863. They dropped to 123 on the Surrender of Port Hudson on July 18th. Recovering and continuing up as the variation in prices tempted speculators and investors to buy gold bullion in order to protect against a decline in the value of the freshly printed paper money.
In the following years this rise continued until 1869, the first 'Black Friday' and the collapse of gold over a period of 48 hours, caused by one highly influential finance house with political assistance cornering the market, and a subsequent surge in Gold prices, the threat of flooding the market with Treasury owned gold (which they didn't actually have), the failed attempts to convert gold holdings (on paper), bank runs, riots, investors and speculators wiped out, stock market plummets, economy weakens and the rest is history, which yes does have a habit of repeating itself....
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Price HK$ 60,000
Popular Romances of the West of England; or, The Drolls, Traditions, and Superstitions of Old Cornwall -
Robert Hunt (editor)
1865 - John Camden Hotten, London - First Edition
Two finely bound volumes of these magnificent collections of Cornish fairy tales, superstitions and traditions, 117 in the first series and 220 in the second series, to be read by firelight on a cold winter evening, or actually even in the height of summer...
What makes this set unique are the additional engraved plates that have been stunningly bound in by Bayntun of Bath, originally containing two engravings by Cruikshank, this set adds another 108 relevant older engravings (18 of which are hand-coloured) and two maps (one of which is hand-coloured).
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Price HK$ 11,000
1865 - John Camden Hotten, London - First Edition
Two finely bound volumes of these magnificent collections of Cornish fairy tales, superstitions and traditions, 117 in the first series and 220 in the second series, to be read by firelight on a cold winter evening, or actually even in the height of summer...What makes this set unique are the additional engraved plates that have been stunningly bound in by Bayntun of Bath, originally containing two engravings by Cruikshank, this set adds another 108 relevant older engravings (18 of which are hand-coloured) and two maps (one of which is hand-coloured).
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Price HK$ 11,000
Billionaire - Inscribed -
Peter James
1983 - W. H. Allen, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of Peter James best seller, signed and with nice and personal inscription from the author in large black pen on title page ‘Jan 28th, 1983, To a fine fellow Old-Carthusian (Without Prejudice) To my second Dad! With very best wishes, Peter’.
An ‘Old-Carthusian’ is a former pupil of Charterhouse, the British public school.
“City stockbroker Alex Rocq leads a comfortable life – with a luxury flat in London, a country cottage, a very expensive car, and a lucrative job that still leaves time for leisure. But all this isn’t enough. After receiving a tip-off, Alex decides to play the commodities market for himself. He soon learns the hard way that fortune doesn’t always favour the brave, and his luck comes to an abrupt end.
When he is offered the chance to write off his debts – in exchange for special services and silence – Rocq can’t believe his luck. But how far will a desperate man go to harness the power players around him?”
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Price HK$ 3,000
1983 - W. H. Allen, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of Peter James best seller, signed and with nice and personal inscription from the author in large black pen on title page ‘Jan 28th, 1983, To a fine fellow Old-Carthusian (Without Prejudice) To my second Dad! With very best wishes, Peter’.An ‘Old-Carthusian’ is a former pupil of Charterhouse, the British public school.
“City stockbroker Alex Rocq leads a comfortable life – with a luxury flat in London, a country cottage, a very expensive car, and a lucrative job that still leaves time for leisure. But all this isn’t enough. After receiving a tip-off, Alex decides to play the commodities market for himself. He soon learns the hard way that fortune doesn’t always favour the brave, and his luck comes to an abrupt end.
When he is offered the chance to write off his debts – in exchange for special services and silence – Rocq can’t believe his luck. But how far will a desperate man go to harness the power players around him?”
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Price HK$ 3,000
Works -
Thomas Jefferson
1853-55 - John C. Riker, New York
‘I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man’
A superbly bound nine volume set of the first collected edition of the works of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, who voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades.
With folding facsimiles and tables. Published by the Order of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, from the Original Manuscripts deposited in the department of state. With explanatory notes, tables of contents, and a copious index to the whole, by the editor H. A. Washington.
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Price HK$ 30,000
1853-55 - John C. Riker, New York
‘I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man’A superbly bound nine volume set of the first collected edition of the works of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, who voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades.
With folding facsimiles and tables. Published by the Order of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, from the Original Manuscripts deposited in the department of state. With explanatory notes, tables of contents, and a copious index to the whole, by the editor H. A. Washington.
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Price HK$ 30,000
The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money -
John Maynard Keynes
1936 - Macmillan and Co., London - First Edition, First Printing
First edition of one of the most influential economic treatises of the 20th century rare with the scarce dust jacket in this superior condition, together with a laid in signature ‘Sincerely yours, JM Keynes’.
‘The General Theory is nothing less than an epic journey out of intellectual darkness. That, as much as its continuing relevance to economic policy, is what makes it a book for the ages. Read it, and marvel.’ - Paul Krugman, Professor of Economics, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics.
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Price HK$ 120,000
1936 - Macmillan and Co., London - First Edition, First Printing
First edition of one of the most influential economic treatises of the 20th century rare with the scarce dust jacket in this superior condition, together with a laid in signature ‘Sincerely yours, JM Keynes’. ‘The General Theory is nothing less than an epic journey out of intellectual darkness. That, as much as its continuing relevance to economic policy, is what makes it a book for the ages. Read it, and marvel.’ - Paul Krugman, Professor of Economics, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics.
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Price HK$ 120,000
Shanghai: its Mixed Court and Council -
A. M. Kotenev
1925 - North-China Daily News &, Shanghai - First Edition
A rare first edition of the most detailed work on Shanghai’s Municipal Council and Mixed Court from 1842 to 1924, the year before its demise.
Contents: Rules for the Mixed court, 1869. Rules of procedure of the International mixed court, 1914 and 1919, supplemented with provisions on general principles of the modern procedural laws of China, 1921. The provisional Criminal code of the republic of China. The provisional Criminal code amendment act.--The revised draft of the law on offences relating to morphine. The Chinese Supreme court decisions (1923). Rules for application of foreign laws (1921). Regulations relating to commerce. Copyright, 1916. The Law of publication, 1914. Rules of the Court of consuls. Land regulations and bye-laws for the Foreign settlement of Shanghai.
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Price HK$ 5,000
1925 - North-China Daily News &, Shanghai - First Edition
A rare first edition of the most detailed work on Shanghai’s Municipal Council and Mixed Court from 1842 to 1924, the year before its demise.Contents: Rules for the Mixed court, 1869. Rules of procedure of the International mixed court, 1914 and 1919, supplemented with provisions on general principles of the modern procedural laws of China, 1921. The provisional Criminal code of the republic of China. The provisional Criminal code amendment act.--The revised draft of the law on offences relating to morphine. The Chinese Supreme court decisions (1923). Rules for application of foreign laws (1921). Regulations relating to commerce. Copyright, 1916. The Law of publication, 1914. Rules of the Court of consuls. Land regulations and bye-laws for the Foreign settlement of Shanghai.
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Price HK$ 5,000
Reminiscences of a Stock Operator -
Edwin Lef
1923 - George H. Doran Company, New York - First Edition [colophon containing GHD on copyright page]
First edition of the most-widely acclaimed stock market classic of all time, housed in a bespoke morocco clamshell case.
‘The best book I’ve read’ - Martin Zweig.
The thinly disguised fictionalised biography of Jesse Livermore [1877-1940], one of the greatest speculators who ever lived. He is famous for correctly predicting both the 1907 and 1929 stock market crashes. For his 1907 call, Livermore made $3 million, which is equivalent to almost $70 million today. After his 1929 trade, he was worth $100 million, which is equivalent to over $1.2 billion today.
‘I learned early that there is nothing new in Wall Street. There can’t be because speculation is as old as the hills. Whatever happens in the stock market today has happened before and will happen again. I’ve never forgotten that.… The fact that I remember that way is my way of capitalizing experience.’
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Price HK$ 70,000
1923 - George H. Doran Company, New York - First Edition [colophon containing GHD on copyright page]
First edition of the most-widely acclaimed stock market classic of all time, housed in a bespoke morocco clamshell case.‘The best book I’ve read’ - Martin Zweig.
The thinly disguised fictionalised biography of Jesse Livermore [1877-1940], one of the greatest speculators who ever lived. He is famous for correctly predicting both the 1907 and 1929 stock market crashes. For his 1907 call, Livermore made $3 million, which is equivalent to almost $70 million today. After his 1929 trade, he was worth $100 million, which is equivalent to over $1.2 billion today.
‘I learned early that there is nothing new in Wall Street. There can’t be because speculation is as old as the hills. Whatever happens in the stock market today has happened before and will happen again. I’ve never forgotten that.… The fact that I remember that way is my way of capitalizing experience.’
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Price HK$ 70,000
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln -
Abraham Lincoln, Roy P. Basler (editor), Marion Dolores Prat, Lloyd A. Dunlap (assistant editors)
1953-1955 - Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick
A handsomely bound nine volume set of the most comprehensive collection to date of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches, letters and notes, together with a one volume index. A massive undertaking by the Abraham Lincoln Association of Springfield, Illinois.
Illustrated with photographs and plates reproducing documents, and engraved portrait frontispiece to volume I
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Price HK$ 24,000
1953-1955 - Rutgers University Press, New Brunswick
A handsomely bound nine volume set of the most comprehensive collection to date of Abraham Lincoln’s speeches, letters and notes, together with a one volume index. A massive undertaking by the Abraham Lincoln Association of Springfield, Illinois.Illustrated with photographs and plates reproducing documents, and engraved portrait frontispiece to volume I
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Price HK$ 24,000