The rare first edition, with important provenance

[Hörnigk, Philipp Wilhelm von]. Oesterreich uber alles wann es nur will. Das ist: wohlmeinender Fürschlag wie mittelst einer wolbestellten Lands-Oeconomie, die Kayserl. Erbland in kurzem über alle andere Staat von Europa zu erheben [...].

[No place or printer], 1684.

12mo. (8), 303, (1) pp. Contemporary full calf with prettily giltstamped spine and morocco spine label. Marbled endpapers. All edges red.

 4.500,00

The rare first edition of one of the major works of mercantilism, with many valuable suggestions for improvements to the Austrian economy. First published anonymously, the work soon achieved great popularity and by 1784 had been reprinted some fifteen times. It was, however, never translated (and Carpenter explains that "one need look no further than the title to ascertain one of the reasons").

Binding rubbed, extremeties bumped. Some browning throughout as common. The lower third of fol. G12 has been torn away; the text has been supplied in the early 20th century on an inserted folding slip of typescript paper.

Provenance: from the library of the noted economist Oskar Morgenstern (1902-77) with his pencil ownership to flyleaf. In collaboration with the mathematician John von Neumann, the German-born Morgenstern, who taught at Princeton University, founded the mathematical field of game theory and its application to economics.

Literatur

Kress 1599. Goldsmiths'-Kress no. 02552.1. Humpert 82. Carpenter VI, 14. Holzmann/Bohatta III, 7550. OCLC 20890604. Cf. Higgs 674.

Art.-Nr.: BN#57157 Schlagwörter: , , ,