Books and Manuscripts

The Constitutions of the United States; According to the Latest Amendments. To Which Are Prefixed The Declaration of Independence, The Federal Constitution and The Bill of Rights of the State of Virginia
Winchester, Va: From The Press of Jonathan Foster, 1811. First edition. 8vo. 334, (2) pp. Modern three-quarter brown calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red calf spine label, stamped in blind and in gilt; scattered foxing to text; contemporary ownership signature on original front blank; light dampstaining in upper portion of first 35 pages. Sabin 16102; Shaw & Shoemaker 22610

A scarce early printing of America’s founding documents. In addition to those mentioned in the title, also reproduced here are the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutions of the 13 original states, as well as the Constitutions of Vermont, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio, and Acts concerning the governments of the District of Columbia and the Northwest Territory.

This is only the seventh copy of this book to come up for auction since 1900.

Provenance
Private Collection, Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania