Biblia. The Bible, That is The Holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testaments faithfully and truly translated into Englishe by Myles Coverdale. London: J. Rider [Successor to S. Bagster[. 1838.[2], iv, [16], 816, 187, 266 pp + portrait
A unique copy of this important first facsimile edition of Coverdale's first English translation of the Scriptures. This edition reprinted from the copy in the library of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, for Samuel Bagster.
What makes this copy rather extraordinary is its binding. An imposing thick quarto, weighing in at nearly 8 pounds, this copy has been custom bound for the elusive book collector of the 19th century, Henry Aylorde. He evidently had an important collection of illuminated manuscripts and fine bindings which are now largely in institutional collections. The reason I say, "elusive" is that, for all his books, no one seems to know who he was. His bookplate is present and was executed by the artist W. Bell Scott and is hand-colored. Just the bookplate, being superbly etched, has sold for hundreds of dollars at auction.
The whole is presumably a unique, custom binding, certainly not part off any edition; blind stamped black morocco, imposing brass corners and clasp with Coverdale etched with relief filled in written in red, bright gilt beautifully guaffered edges with highly decorated gilt turn-ins. The spine blindstamped with gilt lettering.
The Bible has been rebacked, both joints are sound and solid, covers are lightly rubbed and scuffed with minor marks, minor wear to top & bottom edges. The spine backstrip has been laid down which has minor wear. The covers are in very good condition and the whole is, well, spectacular.
There are a couple minor losses on marbled endpapers, likely from a label of some sort. Minor crumpling and tiny tears in one place to lower margin edge to front endpapers, half-title and frontispiece, faint brown blemishes to half title and title pages. On the whole, very crisp and clean. Frontis a bit foxed as usual.