Mining/Geology

The Doctrine of Gold and Silver Computations – Thomas Snelling – First Edition Published 1766

An extremely rare book on gold and silver assaying and standards of value.Self published by Snelling from his premises next to the Horn Tavern, Fleet Street, London in 1766 … he advertises .. “who buys and sells all Sorts of Coins and Medals”.

Title continues … in which is included, that of the par of money; the proportion in value between gold and silver; and the valuation of gold, silver, and parting assays; with useful tables and copper plates.

Full calf with six compartments to spine each with elaborate giltwork, redone by Perry to his usual high standard, and a separate black leather title label. Complete with 144 pages after preliminaries including assay tables followed by 10 pages of copper engravings of coins all quite beautifully executed showing the printers plate mark for each coin pair. A few marks on the title, less elsewhere and generally very clean and bright inside.

Technically a book of high standard with comprehensive workings and tables allowing for a proper understanding of the difficulties of assay in the 18th Century.

The “Preface” sets the context of the book nicely … explaining that there are 480 defined qualities of silver and 384 defined qualities of gold and when mixed and possibly further mixed with copper give rise to 460,800 potential variations then the issue of assay and valuation is inherently complex.

Thomas Snelling (1712-1773) was a leading English numismatist of the period. He carried on business as a coin dealer at 183 Fleet Street next door to the Horn Tavern. His collection was sold off after his death and the catalogue is held in the Medal Room at the British Museum. There are three portrait medals of Snelling in the British Museum, one by Pingo who also did the Cook Medal commissioned by the Royal Society.

First Edition of Snelling’s Book on Gold, Silver and Coins

$290.00

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Queensland Fossil Plants – Dicotyledon and Others – Redbank Plains Formation – 45 Million Years

A nice slab of carbonaceous shale showing numerous preserved plants from the middle Eocene era – circa 45 million years ago – a period regraded as the “dawn of modern life”.

Fossils were found in the Redbank Plains area as early as 1900 by settlers. Most of the sites have been built out which makes the having of specimens all that more cherishable.

A good example 19.0cm by 16.0cm, 3.0cm deep, weighing 1,180gms

Earliest examples of Australian modern plants – if that makes sense.

$65.00

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Beaconsfield Tasmania – Town with a History – Coultman Smith

Soft cover self published by the author in 1978. A super history, a really good job done on the Tasmanian mining town by Coultman Smith. Very good condition bar the ghost of an old sticker front cover.

Perfect bound, 78 pages, illustrated throughout including pull-out town plan which helps you get around the text. We love the image of the author on the rear cover – fag in mouth and a good smile for an ex army Colonel.

We love it – and a special one for mining buffs.

Beaconsfield probably the best one.

$30.00

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Atacamite [Copper Chloride] – Mt Gunson Mine – Western Australia

A nice cabinet sized piece of WA Atacamite, copper chloride or copper oxychloride.

It is named after the Atacama Dessert in South America where it occurs.

A pretty example with a mixture of fine micro-crystals and a more granular mass.

The strong green colour was widely used in circa15thC in devotional publications, frescos etc.

A good example with a strong and even dark green colouring both sides. 9.0cm by 6.0cm, 2.0cm deep, weighing 95.0gm

Atacamite in good form.

SORRY ON HOLD

$35.00

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Rhodonite [Manganese Silicate] – Tamworth, New South Wales

A nice lump of Rhodonite [Greek for Rose] from the old Manganese mine north of Tamworth in New South Wales. Whilst generally described a Manganese Silicate it contains, Iron, Magnesium and Calcium as well as the aforementioned Manganese.

This example, cleaved and polished to reveal its beauty is of massive fine-grained form with few larger crystal forms around the uncut surface.

The black inclusions are manganese oxide.

Rhodonite has special properties in the love and forgiveness department if you get that. We can see why it is a pretty mineral.

A good nicely layered example 9.0cm by 6.0cm, 4.0cm deep, weighing 354.0gm

Shiny Black Mica from the Northern Territory.

$35.00

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Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1910 [Important papers – the whole of “The Minerals of Tasmania (Updated) W.F. Pettard and various papers by Noetling of Aboriginal interest]

Printed at the “Examiner” Launceston, one of the more substantial volumes.

W.F. Pettard of Launceston had published the “Minerals of Tasmania” in the 1890. Here we have 223 pages devoted to his update published one year before his death. His collection of minerals was handed over to the Society.

Further papers of special interest by Fritz Noetling – The Antiquity of Man in Tasmania – interesting extrapolative maps of Tasmania with the Ocean receded various depths and the resultant connection to the mainland. More on Tronatta by Noetling [see 1909 edition]; the food of the Aborigines and their language of food.

Ritz presenting on the Rev Norman vocabulary studies is another good contribution to the history of Aboriginal language.

Original soft wrappers, 409 pages, well illustrated from scientific sketches, images from photographs, tables, charts etc – some fold out.

Noetling was a German born mining engineer and at this stage was an Officer of the Society. He has previously worked in India and produced a similar body of work there. His large collection of Tasmanian Tronattas is held by the Liepzig museum. Unfortunately, after the outbreak of WWI he was interned and after the war sent back to Germany.

Special papers of Aboriginal interest and the republication of Pettard’s Minerals.

$120.00

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The Doctrine of Gold and Silver Computations – Thomas Snelling – First Edition Published 1766

Queensland Fossil Plants – Dicotyledon and Others – Redbank Plains Formation – 45 Million Years

Beaconsfield Tasmania – Town with a History – Coultman Smith

Atacamite [Copper Chloride] – Mt Gunson Mine – Western Australia

Rhodonite [Manganese Silicate] – Tamworth, New South Wales

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania – 1910 [Important papers – the whole of “The Minerals of Tasmania (Updated) W.F. Pettard and various papers by Noetling of Aboriginal interest]

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