"WE'LL BUY YOUR ALL, PROVIDED YOU'LL AGREE/ TO DROWN YOUR PURCHASE MONEY IN THE SOUTH SEA"

BOWLES, Thomas (publisher). South Sea Bubble Playing Cards. London, 1720.

Complete vintage deck of 52 playing cards satirizing the infamous South Sea Bubble, published by Thomas Bowles at the height of the investing mania. This set—especially complete and in such excellent condition—is extraordinarily rare, considered one of the most valuable decks of cards in the world. $47,000.

“SMITH HIMSELF RANKED IT ABOVE THE WEALTH OF NATIONS”

SMITH, Adam. Theory of Moral Sentiments. London, 1761.

Important second edition of Smith's first book, the first with Smith's major additions and revisions at the core of "his central concepts of sympathy and the impartial spectator" (Tribe, 14), a work increasingly regarded as "one of the truly outstanding books in the intellectual history of the world" (Amartya Sen), beautifully bound. $16,000.

"IN POLITICAL ECONOMY I THINK SMITH'S WEALTH OF NATIONS THE BEST BOOK EXTANT" (JEFFERSON): 1791 EDITION OF WEALTH OF NATIONS WITH 1792 EDITION OF HIS THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS, THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE "INVISIBLE HAND"

SMITH, Adam. Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth.of Nations… WITH: Theory of Moral Sentiments. London / Edinburgh, 1791, 1792. Five volumes.

Splendid set of Smith's Wealth of Nations, the first published after his death, sixth edition—"the first and greatest classic of modern economic thought" (PMM), together with Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, his first book, seventh edition—"Smith himself ranked it above Wealth of Nations"—rarely found together, a memorable five volumes from the library of leading German Neo-Kantian Heinrich Rickert, beautifully bound in contemporary tree calf gilt. $15,000.

“AMONGST THE FATHERS OF ECONOMIC SCIENCE”

SAY, Jean-Baptiste. Traite d'Economie Politique. Paris, 1803. Two volumes.

First edition of this important contribution to the study of market economics, in the original French, in contemporary marbled calf boards. $15,000.

"A FEW DAYS BEFORE HIS DEATH… HE GAVE ORDERS TO DESTROY ALL HIS MANUSCRIPTS, EXCEPTING SOME DETACHED ESSAYS, WHICH HE ENTRUSTED TO THE CARE OF HIS EXECUTORS"

SMITH, Adam. Essays on Philosophical Subjects. London, 1795.

First edition of this core volume of Smith's essays, issued posthumously, featuring the important first publication of History of Astronomy that seeks "to explain what drives 'philosophers' to ask the questions they do," an impressive wide-margined volume handsomely bound. $13,800.

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ECONOMIC TREATISE OF THE 20TH CENTURY

KEYNES, John Maynard. The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. London, 1936.

First edition of Keynes' last major work, considered the most influential economic treatise of the 20th century, rarely found in the original dust jacket. With Keynes clipped signature laid in. $13,000.

“ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MODERN ECONOMICS”

MALTHUS, Thomas Robert. Essay on the Principle of Population. London, 1803.

Second and greatly expanded edition, the first to carry Malthus’ name, of one of the landmark works in economics— four times larger than the first edition and extremely important, embodying “Malthus’ mature views of his subject,” handsomely bound. $12,800.

“THE UNDISPUTED BIBLE OF ECONOMIC DOCTRINE”

MILL, John Stuart. Principles of Political Economy. London, 1848. Two volumes.

First edition of Mill's important and influential work on political economy, "the undisputed bible of economic doctrine" (Roll, 353), a beautiful copy in original cloth. $12,000.

"THE EARLIEST MANUAL, IN ANY LANGUAGE, OF THE PRINTING TRADE"

(PRINTING, et al.) MOXON, Joseph. Mechanick Exercises. London, 1683[-1684]. Two volumes bound as one.

Rare first edition of Moxon's guide to the chief trades of his day, with the all-important second volume devoted entirely to the printing trade, the first such manual published in any language—as well as the first English book to describe ink making—illustrated with 49 (of 60) engraved plates, 25 of which relate to the printing trade. Issued in parts, "very few complete sets have been preserved, the work being, perhaps, the most difficult to obtain in the whole range of typographical literature" (Bigmore & Wyman). In this copy, the volume on printing was bound without one part only—the three numbers on letter-cutting—and thus wants 48 pages from the total of 394 and ten plates from the total of 35, but includes complete chapters and their accompanying illustrations on printing, the construction and functions of the press, mold-making and the casting of letters, the duties of compositors, correctors, pressmen, and warehouse-keepers, and includes a lengthy dictionary of terms at the end. $12,000.

“THE MOST INFLUENTIAL OF AMERICAN WORKS ON ECONOMICS”

GEORGE, Henry. Progress and Poverty. San Francisco, 1879.

Limited first edition of Henry George’s “most famous work,” the rare "Author's Edition" of only 200 copies, the work that prompted the Single Tax movement, with the very rare advertisement leaf asking that no reviews be published. $11,500.