Press Release 1 November 2005

SPINK WINS BIDDING WAR FOR MOST EXPENSIVE NUMISMATIC BOOK

Johann Huttich’s Imperatorum romanorum libellus. Una cum imaginibus, ad vivam effigiem expressis

On 7th October 2005, Spink purchased Johann Huttich’s "Imperatorum romanorum libellus. Una cum imaginibus, ad vivam effigiem expressi." A fierce bidding war for the item ensued, but Spink made the final bid to win the book in Christie’s Paris saleroom for €102,935 - a world record price for a numismatic publication.

Possibly one of the most important numismatic portrait-books, it is a brief illustrated biography of the Roman Emperors. First published in 1525, the book was subsequently published in German, Italian and French. This rare second edition, published in 1526 is listed in Dekesel, Bibliotheca Nummaria. Bibliography of 16th Century Numismatic Books, London (Spink) 1997, #H39 (21 copies listed). Printed throughout in finely engraved italic letters, the publication contains descriptions of 263 medallions, 185 of which display portraits with 78 being left blank. These engraved portraits of emperors and their wives are superbly displayed in white on a black background, some of them being attributed to Hans Weiditz ("the Petrarch Master", c.1495-1536).

This particular book comes from the library of humanist Jean Grolier (c. 1489-1565), who is renowned as the "Prince of Bibliophiles"; a library that De Thou compared to the one of Gaius Asinius Pollio (i.e. the oldest in Rome). Born into a wealthy merchant family from Lyon, Grolier purchased the title of Treasurer of France in 1532, but was soon to be fined a huge amount, for reasons unknown, and spent four years in jail. Immediately after his release from prison in 1538, Grolier bought two copies of this book, probably from his binder. Whilst imprisoned, Grolier’s library was forcibly sold. After his release he spent a great deal of his life rebuilding his library which consisted of roughly 300 to 400 volumes at the time of his death. In 1884, Charlotte Adams commented that "only such books were included in it as were remarkable for their intrinsic literary value and their beauty of form". Grolier’s modern fame is especially due to his bibliophilism: his books and leather coin trays were marked [Io.] Grolierii et Amicorum, i.e. "property of [Jean] Grolier and his friends", exemplary proof of his true humanist spirit.

This small book (165 x 101 mm) was bound in calf circa 1540 by one of Grolier’s usual binders, the so-called "Fleur de Lis binder", with much gilt decoration, and the inscriptions Ro. Impp. Imagines ("portraits of the Roman emperors") and Grolierii et Amicorum ("property of Grolier and his friends"). As required by Grolier from his bindings, the vellum and paper endleaves were preserved. It was part of the libraries of Grolier’s contemporary Jean Colin, of Jacques Dorat (ex libris dated 1627), and of Louis Guibert (in the 19th century). It appeared twice before on the Parisian auction scene, on 19/05/1987 and on 16/09/1988.

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