DESCRIPTION GÉNÉRALE DES MONNAIES MÉROVINGIENNES PAR ORDRE ALPHABÉTIQUE DES ATELIERS. PUBLIÉE D’APRÈS LES NOTES MANUSCRITES DE M. LE VICOMTE DE PONTON D’AMÉCOURT.
Paris: au Siège de la Societé française de Numismatique, 1892–1895. Five volumes, complete. 4to, contemporary black quarter calf with blue cloth; spines with four raised bands, ruled and lettered in gilt; original printed front card covers bound in. (4), viii, 484 + (4), 464 + (4), 464 + (4), 475, (1) + (4), 290 pages; numerous text illustrations of coins; 5 plates of coins engraved by Dardel in first volume. Bindings a bit rubbed, but sound and still very attractive; plates foxed; original paper covers with repairs. Generally a near fine set. Item #7769
Auguste de Belfort (1824–1907) was born in Séry and lived in Charnay. He was a director of the Société française de Numismatique et d’Archéologie, and was deeply involved in the publication of their Annuaire. The Société had been founded by the Vicomte de Ponton d’Amécourt, upon whose research Belfort drew for this masterful work on Merovingian coins. Encyclopedic in nature, but issued in very small numbers, Belmont’s work began to be published around the same time that Maurice Prou issued his important catalogue of the Merovingian coins in the Bibliothèque Nationale. Prou’s work, generally bound in a single volume and considerably more available, quickly established itself as the standard work for collectors, though Belfort’s massive compendium (over twice as long as Prou’s catalogue) included far more information. Very rare: this is the fourth set we have handled since the 1980s. A 1935 Alfred Page numismatic book catalogue described it as a: “Très important travail, donnant la description de 6704 pièces, avec la reproduction de la plupart d’entre elles. — Ouvrage fondamental pour l’étude de la numismatique mérovingienne.” Clain-Stefanelli 5741*. Grierson 119.
Price: $3,000.00