November 17, 2020 Early Arms & Militaria: Age of Exploration, Empire & Revolution
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/17/2020
[Adams, John Quincy.] Emerigon, Balthazard-Marie. "Traite des assurances et des contrats a la grosse." Marseilles: Chez Jean Mossy, 1783. 2 vols. in large quarto; portrait frontispiece of author in v. 1; pp. (8), xvi, 686; pp. (4), 680, (4); period mottled calf, gilt spine with raised bands, black spine labels with gilt lettering, red edges, marbled endpapers. Future president John Quincy Adams inscribed his autograph with date (probably of acquisition on the upper righthand corners of the title pages on both volumes, “J. Q. Adams / June 1794”, although most of that on Volume 2 was clipped at some time in the past. First edition of a pioneer work on the history and methods of insurance, covering the subject from ancient to the author’s own time---the first comprehensive work in the field and one which was used as an authority in the commercial courts of Europe. His “Traite” of 1783 (“Treatise of Insurance and Bulk Contracts”) is authoritative thanks to his methodology of proposing various solutions according to applicable foreign laws. John Quincy Adams relied on this set of the first edition in his legal work, for it was not translated until 1811, after which it was widely used in America. Émerigon (1716-1784) was an advocate in the Parliament of AIX, chief councilor of the Admiralty court of Marseilles and leading authority on commercial law in the late 18th century. He had by long practice and study acquired a very extensive and profound knowledge of maritime and commercial law. Widely recognized as one of the great works on insurance law. With numerous apt citations of the texts of the civil laws, maritime ordinances, and court decisions, this work is a treatise of highest authority, and is especially useful in that it contains not only insurance law but the whole of maritime law and other important parts of the law. Dupin 1550; McCulloch, p. 246; Kress B 573. PROVENANCE: Goodspeed’s (1963); Dr. John Lattimer Collection. CONDITION: binding worn with scuffing and edge wear; hinges mended; pages bright and clean. JLK
Item Dimensions: 11 x 9 x 5"