Original Printing of Felt’s 1839 Work

Felt, Joseph B. AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF MASSACHUSETTS CURRENCY. Boston: Printed by Perkins & Marvin, 1839. Tall 8vo, original purple cloth (mostly faded to brown), gilt. (4), (9)–248 pages. Cloth sunned and faded, but well-preserved; institutional ink stamp on title and first and last page; otherwise near fine. Based on two lectures before the Massachusetts Historical Society, this enduring history of Massachusetts coins and currency is one of the first major works, and certainly the most important early effort, to comprehensively cover an American numismatic topic. An early issue, not including the three plates included in later copies. Clain-Stefanelli 13336*. Davis 387. McKerchar 2071. Phillips page iii (“a work of sterling value, now of not frequent occurrence”). Sigler 858. Ex Nantucket Atheneum, with their stamp; ex Charles Davis sale of December 1, 2012, lot 173.