Pinkerton, John. AN ESSAY ON MEDALS. First edition. London: Printed for James Dodsley in Pall-Mall, 1784. 12mo, contemporary brown quarter morocco with marbled sides; spine with five raised bands; dark red spine label lettered in gilt. xxxii, 324 pages. Binding worn, but sound; very good. The rare first edition of this immensely popular guide to coin collecting. Manville 213: "A popular handbook for coin collectors, still of interest, especially for giving the flavour of late eighteenth century numismatics and personalities, enlivened by Pinkerton's often dyspeptic remarks on earlier numismatic writers." Ex Cardinal Collection Library.