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Christopher Crockett wrote:

medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Erik Drigsdahl <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>a marvellous manuscript sold last year at Sotheby's for the nice amount of
157.500 Pounds, perhaps the amount it was sold for in "Francs anciens" in
1937! Why did my grandfather not buy a couple of those?

i think we all share your pain and frustration at being cursed with
astonishingly short-sighted ancestors, Erik.

of course, 157.500 pounds in ancien francs was a pretty penny, back in 1937.

in January i sent a very nice $1,475 book (first editions of Rameau's _TRAITÉ
DE L'HARMONIE_ and _DISSERTATION SUR LES DIFFERENTES MÉTHODES
D'ACCOMPAGNEMENT _) to a client in France, where it was subsequently "lost" in
the post.

finally able to get the insurance claims forms out of my own Postal Service, i
was admonished to adjust my evaluation of the lost item by "taking into
account depreciation."

i find that to be a curious concept, the "depreciation" of a book published in
1722, in its contemporary calf and gilt binding.

the title page of the second work contained the notice : "Le Prix est 3
Livres," which i take to have been a quite substantial bit of change, en ces
temps la.

best to all from here,

christopher

Christopher's Book Room

Books on Theology & Religion:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BooksBrowse?page=LOW&lowcatid=10604308
Books on Other Subjects:
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/abe/BooksBrowse?vendorclientid=807329&page=CLIENT

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