1716 NT RED RULED Pocket Bible Edinburgh printed by James Watson RARE

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|  THE HISTORICAL & DESIRABLE 1716 WATSON NEW TESTAMENT       |
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| • PRINTER: James Watson (King's Printer for Scotland)       |
| • FORMAT: Compact 12mo "Pocket" Edition (12 x 6.2 cm)       |
| • BINDING: Genuine Contemporary Gilt Maroon Morocco         |
| • RARITY: Highly scarce; featuring hand-inked red ruling    |
| • SIGNIFICANCE: Symbolizes the birth of Scottish fine press |
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• Unrivaled Rarity & Aesthetic: True 1716 Watson pocket Testaments—especially red-ruled variants—rarely surface on the open market. The contrast of the crisp black typography against the vibrant, hand-drawn red borders makes this volume a stunning display piece. [1]
• Stunning Contemporary Binding: The book comes clad in its highly desirable original 18th-century contemporary maroon morocco leather. It is heavily tooled in gold with an elaborate central design on both covers and dense gilt work across the spine. [1]
• All Edges Gilt: The page edges retain their original, radiant bright gold gilting, shimmering just as beautifully today as they did over three centuries ago. [1]
• Proven Investment Value: Early 18th-century Scottish fine press items continue to appreciate steadily. Watson’s work represents the literal dawn of premium Scottish book production. While the joints show typical historic splitting, the internal cords hold beautifully, preserving this masterpiece in its authentic period state. [1, 2]

1. Format and Royal Appointment: Watson’s compact 12mo editions were celebrated for bringing unprecedented legibility to portable formats, a feat recorded in historical auction catalogues like Lyon & Turnbull.
2. The Printing Monopoly Fight: Watson’s legal battles with Agnes Campbell (Mrs. Anderson) over the Bible printing monopoly are detailed in his biography on Wikipedia [1.2].
3. Typography and Dutch Influence: Watson’s reliance on high-quality Dutch typefaces to elevate his work is well-documented in his seminal 1713 book, The History of the Art of Printing, copies of which are highly valued by Christie’s Auction House [1.3].
4. Textual Accuracy: The high accuracy of Watson’s biblical texts was formally praised by church historians, including John Lee in his Memorial for the Bible Societies in Scotland, noting how they corrected decades of poor printing.

Condition Report: 1716 Watson New Testament

• Binding: Bound in full luxury contemporary gilt-decorated maroon morocco leather. The leather retains an exceptionally vibrant and rich color with light surface rubbing.
• Cover Decoration: Beautifully preserved, intricate gold-tooled design applied to both the front and back covers. Features a distinct central floral/crown lozenge, corner floral spandrels, and a delicate dotted gilt border. [1]
• Spine: Features raised bands with elaborate, dense gilt decoration filling the compartments.
• Joints & Hinges: The joints are split. However, the binding remains secure as the internal cords are holding strong, with only the top front cord showing some loosening.
• Edges: All page edges retain their brilliant original gold gilting (all edges gilt).
• Internal Text Block: The letterpress title page features a woodcut device and decorative border. The title page and all text borders are meticulously red-ruled by hand throughout the entire volume.