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an old drawing of a machine that is sitting on top of a tablean old book sitting on top of a white table next to a white wallan open book with a picture of a bird on itan image of a drawing of a staircase leading to a buildingdrawing of a drawing of an old building with a clock on the wall
Maître Paul PASTAUD

42 - DELIUS (Christoph Traugott). A Treatise on the Science of Mi…
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Estimate €300 - €400
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Description
DELIUS (Christoph Traugott). A Treatise on the Science of Mining, in Theory and Practice, with a Discourse on the Principles of Finance; prepared for the Imperial and Royal Academy of Schemnitz. By Christophe-François Délius, Councillor-Commissioner of the Court of His Imperial, Royal, Apostolic & Roman Majesty, at his Chamber of Coins & Mines. Translated into French by Mr Schreiber. Dedicated to the Empress-Queen, and printed in Vienna at the expense of His Imperial and Royal Majesty, and printed in France by order of the King and at His Majesty’s expense. Paris, Imprimerie Philippe-Denys Pierres, 1778. 2 volumes in-4, early 19th-century Bradel-style cardboard binding (worn). A few rare small foxing spots. Tear, with no loss of text, on the first plate. First French edition of one of the most important European treatises on mining during the Age of Enlightenment. Written by Christoph Traugott Delius (1728–1779), a professor at the renowned Mining Academy of Schemnitz, the work methodically sets out the geology of ore deposits, extraction techniques, the driving of tunnels and shafts, drainage, ventilation, ore processing and hydraulic machinery. Illustrated with 25 fine technical plates, it marks the transition from the technical tradition inherited from Georgius Agricola in the 16th century to modern engineering, forming a remarkable synthesis of the mining knowledge of the time. The treatise is supplemented by a substantial discussion of the principles of mining finance, in which the author addresses the economic and administrative issues associated with the exploitation of underground resources.
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About the sale MONTIGNAC – 31st BOOK SALE – Day 1 of 4 – Nos. 1 to 549
Auction location
Auction time 08/19/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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