First edition of a fine numismatic book showing ancient coinage of the first twelve Caesars, with all their coins (obverse and reverse), arranged by metal, finely engraved in Enea Vico’s elegant Mannerist style.
Enea Vico (1523-1567) made his name through a number of impressive numismatic books all published in Venice, though he also worked in Rome, and Florence, and later in life at Ferrara in the service of Duke Alfonso. “The volume was conceived as a book of plates, each section having the portrait-cartouche (on the verso of the leaf, recto blank or printed with the last of the preceding group of coin plates) followed by one or two leaves of text set in type (numbered at the foot 1-12; nos. 1 and 2 have two leaves), and by the coin plates recto and verso of the leaf”. Philip Hofer cites this as having the first fully-developed engraved title to appear in an Italian book.
Provenance: Near contemporary ownership letterpress stamp, ‘Jodocus Na?’ at end of text, and dated ‘M D LXIII’. The early near contemporary ownership stamp by one ’Jodocus Na?’ is very unusual. The use of the ‘?’ in his name, a special character only used in Germany, indicates that he was German. Unfortunately nothing is known about him, other than that a number of books with this, his ownership stamp, some rather grand, are known. The ownership stamp always has the identical date stamp of ‘M D LXIII’. It has been suggested that he may be synonymous with one Jodocus Nassauw, who matriculated at Tübingen in 1566.
Bookplate of Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow, their sale, Christie’s, New York, 10 April 2013, lot 350.
A little worming to upper cover, also just touching engraved title, small section of front fly-leaf torn away but generally a very fresh, tall copy.
Edit16 CNCE 40081. Cicognara 3055. Berlin Kat. 4233. Dekesel V15. Mortimer, Italian, 556. Lipsius, 422; J. Cunally, Images of the Illustrious (1999), pp. 211-212. Philip Hofer, “Early Book Illustration in the Intaglio Medium“, in *The Print Collector’s Quarterly (*Vol. 21, 1934), p. 310
