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Histoire de Stanislas Ier, Roi de Pologne (Two Volumes, 1826 Edition)

Two antiquarian books, 1826 edition of Histoire de Stanislas Ier, showing title page, frontispiece portrait, and rubbed leather spines with a pen for scale. - view 1
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Estimated value

$50 - $90

Rarity

Average(4/10)

Category

Books

Brand

Imprimerie d'Auguste Delalain

Era

1826

Origin

France

Artist / Creator

Abbé Liévin-Bonaventure Proyart

Authenticity

Very High(95%)
2

HISTOIRE DE STANISLAS IER, ROI DE POLOGNE (TWO VOLUMES, 1826 EDITION): IDENTIFICATION

A complete two-volume set of 'Histoire de Stanislas Ier, Roi de Pologne, Duc de Lorraine et de Bar' authored by Abbé Liévin-Bonaventure Proyart. Printed in Paris by Auguste Delalain in 1826, this is designated on the title page as a 'Nouvelle Édition, revue et corrigée' (New Edition, revised and corrected). The text features a frontispiece engraved portrait of Stanislas I in Volume 1. The volumes are bound in early 19th-century quarter or half-leather over boards, featuring flat spines divided by gilt fillets and blind-stamped lozenge centerpieces. Each spine bears two contrasting morocco labels: red for the title and green for the volume number. Based on the standard ballpoint pen in the reference images (approx. 14.5 cm), the books are printed in a duodecimo (12mo) or small octavo (8vo) format.

EDITION & PUBLISHING HISTORY

First published in 1784, this biography focuses on Stanisław Leszczyński (Stanislas I), a pivotal figure who served twice as King of Poland before becoming the Duke of Lorraine. The author, Abbé Proyart (1743–1808), was a French Catholic traditionalist and royalist whose historical writings often ...
First published in 1784, this biography focuses on Stanisław Leszczyński (Stanislas I), a pivotal figure who served twice as King of Poland before becoming the Duke of Lorraine. The author, Abbé Proyart (1743–1808), was a French Catholic traditionalist and royalist whose historical writings often emphasized moral instruction and monarchical virtues. This 1826 edition was printed during the Bourbon Restoration, a period in France when royalist histories and biographies of monarchs experienced renewed publisher interest and steady print runs.

COLLECTOR NOTES

1

Stanisław Leszczyński's daughter, Marie Leszczyńska, married King Louis XV in 1725, making this King of Poland the father-in-law of the French monarch.

2

The title page retains the original 1826 publisher's pricing structure printed directly on the leaf: 'broch. 6 fr. / rel. 7 fr. 50 c.', indicating it cost 6 francs in wrappers or 7.50 francs in a basic publisher's binding.

SCARCITY

Average55-70%
CommonLegendary

Typical antique shop fare. Requires some searching but regularly available. This is where most genuine antiques fall.

Typical Characteristics

  • Standard antique shop items
  • Regularly available
  • Moderate collector interest

Confidence Factors

  • There is no financial incentive to forge an 1826 reprint of an 18th-century text.
How does authenticity detection work?

BIBLIOPHILE'S ASSESSMENT

Rare Book Dealer & Bibliographer

Bibliographer

The title page provides clear, legible typographic evidence of the edition, date, and publisher. The binding wear and paper characteristics visible in the images strongly support the printed date.

KEY EVIDENCE

  • 1Title page imprint explicitly states 'Paris, de l'Imprimerie d'Auguste Delalain... 1826'.
  • 2Designation 'Nouvelle Édition' confirms this is a later reprint, not the 1784 first edition.
  • 3Binding style (flat spines, specific gilt tooling, dual contrasting morocco labels) is characteristic of French provincial and Parisian binding circa 1820-1830.

CONDITION & GRADE

Good

Grading breakdown

Graded 'Good' in antiquarian terms due to intact but rubbed bindings, complete text block, and typical foxing. It falls short of 'Very Good' due to the abrasion on the spine leather.

Condition

The set exhibits moderate shelf wear consistent with early 19th-century leather bindings. The spines show noticeable chafing, color fading, and surface abrasion to the leather, particularly along the joints and at the head and tail caps. The gilt tooling remains partially legible but is oxidized. Internally, the title page and frontispiece show scattered foxing (spotting) and slight age-toning to the paper, which is typical for the wood-pulp-free rag paper used in French publishing during the 1820s.

BOOK MARKET VALUATION

$50 - $90

Updated: Oct 16, 2026

  • Market comparables from auctions & retail
  • Condition, completeness & craftsmanship
  • Current collector demand & trends
  • Low = quick sale, high = patient seller

For informational purposes only, not a formal appraisal.

YOUR INPUT VS. SCAN

How your provided context compares with Curiosa.com scanner findings.

What Aligned

  • User's identification of author (Abbé Proyart), subject (Stanislas I), publication year (1826), and origin (France) perfectly match the title page data.
  • User's note of a complete two-volume set aligns with the spine numbering (1 and 2) and standard bibliographic records for this edition.

What Conflicted

  • User describes the condition as 'w dobrym stanie... widoczne niewielkie przetarcia' (in good condition... visible minor rubbing). Bibliographically, the spine wear is moderate to heavy, with significant surface loss to the leather, rather than 'minor'.

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