An Inquiry Into The Nature And Causes Of The Wealth Of Nations, Copy #82 Of The Finely Bound, Limited Japanese Bicentennial Edition, A Pristine Set Accompanied By A Wealth Of Documents, Including The Numbered Invitation To The Publication Party, A Comprehensive List Of Adam Smith's References, And A Bibliographical Story Of The Wealth Of Nations Adam Smith Other Fine Bindings,Other Non-Fiction

This large, lovely, finely bound edition of one of the most important works of economics is both compellingly handsome and intriguing in origin. Per the limitation statement: "This facsimile edition is issued to commemorate the bicentenary of the first edition of The Wealth of Nations. Planned cooperatively by English, American and Japanese firms, it is published by Yushodo Booksellers Ltd., Tokyo, 1976. One thousand copies have been printed, of which 981 are for sale." These two-volume sets are magnificently substantial, each volume measuring 11.75 x 9.75 x 1.75 inches (29.8 x 24.8 x 4.5 cm) and, together in their slipcase, weighing 9 pounds 4 ounces (4.2 kg). The bindings are full, pebble grain, reddish-brown Morocco goatskin with raised spine bands bracketed by double gilt rules with gilt printed and gilt decorated compartments. The contents are printed on laid paper and bound with silk head and tail bands and marbled endpapers. The two volumes are housed together in a rigid, blue cloth-covered slipcase, the interior lined with white felt.This set is number 82, so identified by "82" hand-written on the Volume 1 limitation statement. Condition is fine. The bindings are square, clean, tight, and unfaded, with only the most trivial hints of wear, likely simply incident to sliding the books in and out of the case. The contents are pristine – immaculately bright and clean with no soiling, spotting, or previous ownership marks. Only the slipcase shows any appreciable signs of age and wear; the slipcase is fully intact, and the cloth unfaded, though the cloth shows mild scuffing and soiling. The white felt-lined interior has taken on reddish-brown color from the edges of the bindings.Accompanying this set is a small archive of documents attendant to original publication. The first of these documents, a small, folding brochure measuring 7.25 x 5.25 inches (18.4 x 13.3 cm) featuring a front cover illustration of Smith, is the original publication party announcement and invitation, held at "4:00 p.m. Monday October 4th, 1976" at "Hotel Grand Palace". This was apparently a major event, including a film. Laid into this invitation brochure are two leaves, each printed in Japanese, one of these apparently the invitation ticket, with "No.82" handwritten thereon. The second of these documents is a larger, 10.25 x 7.25 inches (26 x 18.4 cm), eight-panel brochure printed in both Japanese and English providing a lengthy list of "References" consulted by Smith in composition of his work. The third document is a 44-page, perfect-bound book in strikingly-textured gray card wraps and measuring 8.25 x 5.75 inches (21.6 x 14.6 cm). This book is the Bibliographical Story of The Wealth of Nations with authorship credited to "W. R. Todd" and "K. E. Carpenter" and a Japanese author, the contents printed almost entirely in Japanese. The 1976 copyright specified on the title page verso is held by the publisher, Yushodo Booksellers Ltd. The Wealth of Nations was first published in 1776, strikingly coincident to the Declaration of Independence by the fledgling American republic that would, in time, become the standard bearer for the development potential of market forces. Wealth has gone through innumerable editions in the ensuing quarter of a millennium."The Wealth of Nations had no rival in scope or depth when published and is still one of the few works in its field to have achieved classic status, meaning simply that it has sustained yet survived repeated reading, critical and adulatory, long after the circumstances which prompted it have become the object of historical enquiry." (ODNB) Wealth has been recognized as the first work of political economy. "As philosopher Smith had taken up the challenge of providing an ‘imaginary machine’ that would render coherent the everyday appearances of an emerging world. In contrast to the existing systems, agricultural and mercantile, he advanced a ‘system of natural liberty’ capable of supporting a branch of