Napoléon 1er - Code de commerce - 1808-1808

1808 — Napoleonic Code of Commerce — Didot stereotype edition — leather binding — ex-libris Jorge Augusto de Mello Azevedo

Very beautiful old copy of the Code of Commerce, published in Paris in 1808, under the reign of Napoleon I, in an elegant stereotype edition based on the Firmin Didot process.

The work bears the full title:

Code de Commerce, with the comparison of the text of the articles of the Napoleonic Code and of the Code of Civil Procedure, which have direct relevance to it, followed by an analytical and reasoned table of contents and a concordance of the two styles for 50 years.

Printed in Paris by Pierre Didot l’Aîné and Firmin Didot, two of the greatest names in early 19th-century French printing.

Book characteristics

* Title: Code de Commerce
* Place: Paris
* Printers: Pierre Didot l’Aîné and Firmin Didot
* Year: 1808 — M.DCCCVIII
* Period: First Empire / Napoleon I
* Edition: stereotype edition, after the Firmin Didot process
* Format: about 14 x 9 cm
* Pagination: 268 pages
* Binding: full antique leather
* Spine: decorated with gilded rules and crests, with red title piece
* Folio guards: antique marbled paper
* Provenance: ex-libris of Jorge Augusto de Mello Azevedo
* Other marks: old seal / collection monogram visible on the title page

Remarkable bibliophile provenance

This copy stands out for the presence of a very beautiful red-engraved ex-libris of Jorge Augusto de Mello Azevedo, affixed to the verso of the front pastedown.

The provenance of an old book is always an important element for collectors. Here, the ex-libris adds a true bibliophilic dimension to the copy: it helps identify a former owner-collector and enhances the historical interest of the work.

The ex-libris, decorated with an architectural and heraldic motif, clearly bears the name:

Jorge Augusto de Mello Azevedo

This provenance gives this small volume an extra personality and distinguishes it from a simple ordinary copy of the Code de Commerce.

Historical interest

This volume is a beautiful testament to Napoleon-era legal reform.

The Code of Commerce of 1807, applied from 1808, constitutes one of the great foundational texts of modern commercial law. It organizes rules relating to merchants, companies, commercial papers, bankruptcies, insolvencies, maritime trade, and commercial jurisdictions.

The copy notably contains:

* Book I: Of commerce in general
* Book II: Of maritime commerce
* Book III: Of bankruptcies and insolvencies
* Book IV: Of commercial jurisdiction
* the law setting the time at which the Code of Commerce becomes enforceable
* a supplement relating to the rate of money interest
* an analytical and reasoned table
* a concordance of the Republican calendar and the 50-year calendar

Also found are very interesting imperial mentions, including texts signed by Napoleon, as well as the names of great figures of the imperial administration such as Cambacérès, Regnier, and Hugues B. Maret.

A fine Didot edition

The work was printed by the famous Didots, a major family in the history of French printing.

The note “edition stéréotype, d’après le procédé de Firmin Didot” is particularly interesting. It marks an important typographic innovation of the time, enabling the production of sharper, more regular, and durable editions.

The compact format of the work, close to a pocket size, makes it very elegant and pleasant in hand. It is a volume that is practical, historical, and decorative.

Condition

Beautiful old copy, in its working condition.

The leather binding shows normal signs of age: rubs, minor corner wear, marks on the spine and boards. The spine remains very decorative with its gilded ornaments and its red title piece.

The interior is overall well preserved for a book of more than two centuries. Some foxing, small stains, signs of handling, and time marks are visible, as is common with such antique works. The text remains clearly legible.

The marbled endpapers are present and add a lot of charm to the copy. The ex-libris of Jorge Augusto de Mello Azevedo is well preserved and constitutes a remarkable provenance element.

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