The BCD Set of the Traité

Babelon, Ernest. TRAITÉ DES MONNAIES GRECQUES ET ROMAINES. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1901–1932. Five text volumes and four plate volumes, complete. Text volumes as follows: PREMIÈRE PARTIE: THÉORIE ET DOCTRINE. TOME PREMIER. Paris, 1901. (4), vii, (1) pages; 1206, (2) double columns [604 pages]; 37 text figures. DEUXIÈME PARTIE: DESCRIPTION HISTORIQUE. TOME PREMIER: COMPRENANT LES MONNAIES GRECQUES DEPUIS LES ORIGINES JUSQU’AUX GUERRES MÉDIQUES. Paris, 1907. (4), iv pages; 1670, (2) double-columns [836 pages]; text figures. DEUXIÈME PARTIE: DESCRIPTION HISTORIQUE. TOME DEUXIÈME: COMPRENANT LES MONNAIES DE L’EMPIRE DES PERSES ACHÉMÉNIDES, DE L’ORIENT SÉMITIQUE ET DE L’ASIE-MINEURE AUX Ve ET IVe SIÈCLES AVANT J.-C. Paris, 1910. (4), iii, (1) pages; 1560, (4) double columns [782 pages]; text figures. DEUXIÈME PARTIE: DESCRIPTION HISTORIQUE. TOME TROISIÈME: COMPRENANT LES MONNAIES DE LA GRÈCE CENTRALE ET MÉRIDIONALE AUX Ve ET IVe SIÈCLES AVANT J.-C. Paris, 1914. vi, (2) pages; 1144 double columns [572 pages]; a few text figures. DEUXIÈME PARTIE: DESCRIPTION HISTORIQUE. TOME QUATRIÈME: COMPRENANT LES MONNAIES DE LA GRÈCE SEPTENTRIONALE AUX Ve ET IVe SIÈCLES AVANT J.-C. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1926–1932. iv pages; 1100 double columns [550 pages]. Plate volumes as follows: TROISIÈME PARTIE. PLANCHES I À LXXXV. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1907. (4), iii, (1) pages; 85 fine plates of coins. TROISIÈME PARTIE: ALBUM DES PLANCHES. PLANCHES LXXXVI À CLXXXV. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1910. (4) pages; 8 double columns [4 pages]; 100 fine plates of coins numbered 86–185. TROISIÈME PARTIE: ALBUM DES PLANCHES. PLANCHES CLXXXVI À CCLXX. Paris: Ernest Leroux, 1916. (2) pages; 6, (2) double columns [4 pages]; 85 fine plates of coins numbered 186–270. TROISIÈME PARTIE: ALBUM DES PLANCHES. PLANCHES CCLXXI À CCCLV. Paris: Éditions Ernest Leroux, 1926. 85 fine plates of coins numbered 271–355. 4to [plates somewhat taller than text], later matching tan quarter morocco with brown sides; spines hand-lettered in brown; decorative endpapers. Occasional annotations. Spines worn from use, with binding rubbed and scuffed, but sound; occasional reinforcement to pages at gutter; minor foxing in some volumes; very good or better. Of the highest importance. Clain-Stefanelli, in Numismatics—An Ancient Science, heaps praise on Babelon and his many authoritative works on Greek numismatics, calling the Traité “his greatest work.” Sets are infrequently offered. These volumes are all that Babelon published, with Jacques de Morgan compiling two additional volumes on Persian coins after Babelon’s death (which were not themselves published until after de Morgan’s death). Jean Babelon, Ernest’s son, wrote an Avant-Propos to the final text volume in which he states that it had been completed during the war years, but that the larger events of the day precluded publication until quite a bit later. Described in a 1935 Alfred Page numismatic book catalogue as an “ouvrage extrêmement rare et d’une documentation exceptionelle. — Les premiers volumes, complètement épuisés, sont introuvables.” Clain-Stefanelli 1809*: “An unfinished but monumental work, indispensable for the scholar.” Daehn 19. Grierson 52.