KOEBEL, AIN NEW GEORDNET RECHEN BIECHLIN, AUGSBURG, 1514, HONEYMAN COPY

FIRST EDITION, small 4to (193 x 130mm.), gothic letter, woodcut on title, diagrams in text, woodcut initials, blue wrappers, half red morocco case, title soiled and repaired at inner margin and at lower corner, final quire reinforced, some leaves and wrappers slightly stained or soiled

Virgilius Arsatius Kopp of Munich, early ownership inscription on first text leaf; label in upper corner of wrapper: Math. P.; Robert B. Honeyman (1897-1987), sale in these rooms, 12-13 May 1980, lot 1843, £600; Hartung & Hartung, Auktion 103, 6 November 2001, lot 241, DM13,800, Erwin Tomash

Tomash & Williams K58; Benzing, Köbel, no. 31 and 97; Hoock & Jeannin K8.1; Kramer 260; Smith, Rara arithmetica pp.100-106; USTC 610011; VD16 K1643

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Köbel "was not only a famous rechenmeister but also a skilled painter and engraver. This arithmetic went through a large number of editions (at least twenty-two in the sixteenth century), occasionally being modified slightly and often being printed with other works by Köbel. A second edition was brought out in Oppenheim the same year as the first—the two may be easily distinguished by the colophon. This is a very rare work, not only because of its scarcity but also because of the content. It is unusual to find an arithmetic in which the material is explained using only the table abacus and Roman numerals (except for the use of Hindu-Arabic numbers in the discussion of notation). At this time most Germans would have been using the abacus and Roman notation for their work, but the majority of writers on the subject would have included a section on algorism if not made it their major topic" (Tomash & Williams).