Nov 18, 2008 - Sale 2163

Sale 2163 - Lot 15

Price Realized: $ 5,520
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 5,000 - $ 7,500
(AMERICAN REVOLUTION.) [Chalmers, James.] Plain Truth; Addressed to the Inhabitants of America, Containing, Remarks on a Late Pamphlet, entitled Common Sense. [8], 84, [11], 98-136 pages. 8vo, contemporary plain wrappers, some chipping, manuscript spine title on later paper; front inner wrapper lacks upper corner, rear inner wrapper dampstained and an inscription has been cut out, some early inked marginalia, corners with slightly rounded trim, lacks lower corner of M1 (not affecting text). Lacks initial half-title; bound with Additions to Plain Truth, possibly as issued. Philadelphia: R. Bell, 1776
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first edition, first issue of this important first response to Thomas Paine's Common Sense by a Maryland Loyalist. "Those who tried to oppose the ever-growing radical forces were disorganized and silent . . . the incoherence in both the printing and the writing of Plain Truth seems to be part of the same pattern"--Adams, "Authorship and Printing of Plain Truth," Bibliographical Society of America Papers 49:3. First state of all signatures, as described in Adams. However, none of the dozens of copies he examined had this first issue of "Plain Truth" bound with the first issue of "Additions to Plain Truth" as found here. Adams, American Independence 208a and 209; Evans 15088; Gimbel, Common Sense CS-207 and CS-206a; Sabin 84642 and 15526. A beautiful wide-margined copy.