COMMERCIAL ADVICE
Coll y Alsina, Pedro Martir: Norma, en que se presentan varias formulas de contratas de fletamentos, conocimientos, pólizas de seguros, letras de cambio, patronías de buque, facturas, libros de cuentas, balances, contrata de compañía, cartas, &c. que para govierno de un hijo suyo joven comerciante compuso Don Pedro Martir Coll, y Alsina. Barcelona: por la compañía de Jordi, Roca, y Gaspár 1803.
A collection of model letters, contracts, ledger and inventory entries, letters of credit for exchange, invoices and similar, assembled for a young merchant (the author's son) - with notes on their use. The book is prefaced by a letter of advice to the son on morals and conduct. "You must be constant without being tenacious, humble without abasing yourself, and intrepid without being audacious" (tr.).
"The science of commerce consists of and comprehends two parts. One is the perfect understanding of all the qualities and circumstances of the things in commerce, and the other is knowing how to make the right documents for such commerce, with an order, clarity, and exactitude, so that one always sees perfectly everything that [the commerce] has consisted of" (p. I) (tr.).
Details
First edition. One volume, 19.8 cms. x 13.5 cms., octavo, pp. [12] IV, 120 [4]. Half-title, titlepage with woodcut printer's vignette, prefatory letter in cursive typeface. P. 38 a mocked-up bill of exchange, with typographical border. Light age-yellowing and slight foxing, half-title separating from textblock, inkstain to outer margin towards end. Bound in a case-binding with parchment over boards, front free endpaper marbled to verso. Some gnawing along top sides and at top of outer side of upper cover. Staining to binding, some early sums in ink to upper cover, final endpaper (which was perhaps also marbled) removed. Inscription to verso of title-page of Fran.co Sogue, inscription to final pastedown “Hic liber”.
CCPB000407884-5. Palau 57479. OCLC shows copies outside mainland Europe at Berkeley, University of Kansas and Harvard.