Erizzo, Discorso sopra le medaglie antiche, Venice, 1559, contemporary limp vellum

Erizzo, Sebastiano.

Discorso di M. Sebastiano Erizzo, sopra le medaglie antiche, con la particolare dichiaratione di molti riversi, nuovamente mandato in luce. Venice: Vincenzo Valgrisi, 1559

First edition of this early text on numismatics, discussing whether coins were used as medals for commemorative purposes rather than as currency. Erizzo (1525-1585), a Venetian scholar and senator, had amassed a substantial coin and medal collection which was the basis for this work. It proved a popular text, appearing in at least three more Venetian editions before the end of the sixteenth century.

8vo (165 x 108 mm). Roman type, 26 lines plus headline. collation: a⁸ b⁴ A-Z⁸ Aa-Ff⁸ Gg⁴: 298 leaves (last leaf blank). Woodcut device on title-page, woodcut initials, woodcut cartouche on A1, woodcut illustrations of coins. (Preliminaries and final few quires somewhat stained.)

binding: Contemporary limp vellum (166 x 110 mm), manuscript lettering on spine, title lettered along foot of textblock. (Small section of spine defective, upper corner of upper cover slightly defective, binding slightly soiled, lacking front flyleaf.)

provenance: "Combes", name on inside front cover. acquisition: Purchased in 2002 from Maggs Bros, London. references: Dekesel E29; Edit16 18273