Holy Bible 1857 Leather Gold Gilding American Bible Society First Edition For Sale

1857 Holy Bible – American Bible Society – 1st Edition – Ornate Red Leather & Gilt Offered is a beautiful and remarkably well-preserved 1857 Holy Bible, published in New York by the American Bible Society, containing the complete Old and New Testaments in the King James tradition.The title page reads:THE HOLY BIBLE,
Containing the Old and New Testaments;
Translated out of the Original Tongues,
and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised.
New York: American Bible Society, 1857.The volume is identified as “1st EDITION” on the contents page and as “Pica Ref., octavo” on the title page.This is an especially handsome example featuring an ornate deep red leather binding with extensive gilt decoration, decorative borders and embossing, raised spine bands, gilt spine ornamentation and lettering, and gilt page edges.Published in 1857, just four years before the beginning of the American Civil War, it is an impressive piece of 19th-century American religious and publishing history.CONDITIONMost importantly, this Bible is 100% complete. The text block remains remarkably firm, tight and substantial, retaining an impressive original stiffness when opened and handled rather than the looseness frequently encountered in books of this age. The pages remain securely bound.The interior is very pleasing for a book 169 years old, with expected age toning, occasional spotting/foxing and other minor signs of age and use.The original leather binding shows considerable age-related wear, including rubbing and scuffing, worn corners and edges, areas of leather loss, and wear along the spine and joints, particularly at the head and tail of the spine. Despite this wear, the binding retains a substantial amount of its beautiful original gilt decoration and has wonderful antique character and display presence.Please examine all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the condition description and show the actual Bible being offered.A wonderful collectible for anyone interested in antique Bibles, American Bible Society publications, 19th-century books, Victorian bindings, Americana, Christian history, or decorative leather-bound books.A striking, complete 1857 Bible with an unusually decorative red-and-gilt binding and a remarkably firm text block.