PENNY

On 7 January 1911 Beckles Willson, Honorary Secretary of the Charles Dickens Testimonial, explained the scheme to the readers of the Spectator. Three members of Dickens's family were, Willson explained, 'drawing a niggardly pension of £25 per annum from the British Government', and that 'no volume recently published of Dickens has returned any copyright fee, save those which bear the Dickens copyright stamp'. The stamp was 'on sale for one penny each-in sheets of twelve-at every bookseller's in the land, and at all Messrs. W. H. Smith's and Wyman's news-stalls.

In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with the envelope with one small tear in the flap. The cover of the envelope carries designs in light blue printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co, including 'The North Mail making for Highgate, 1790, at 8 miles an hour' and 'The North Mail, 1890, approaching Carlisle at 48 miles an hour'. It is addressed by Tuer himself to 'And: W.

8vo, 32 pp. In original yellow printed wraps, with engraving on front. Unopened. Very good, with slight fraying to edges. American tale of 'Tim Timberlick', 'whom everybody liked except Indians, for in past years he had made many of them bite the leaves', and whose 'ranch was well known to hunters, trappers, and miners'. Back cover advertises 'London Library. In Penny Numbers, every Number a Complete Story, containing Thirty-two Pages of matter, book size, in Illustrated Wrapper.' Excessively scarce: no copy on COPAC or WorldCat.

12mo, 32 pp. In original yellow printed wraps, with engraving on front. Front wrap gives title as 'Guerilla [sic] Spy', with full title on p. 1. Unopened. Very good, with slight fraying to wrap and at foot of first leaf. American Civil War story, beginning in 1861. Back cover advertises 'Cheap New Edition of the London Library. In Penny Numbers, every Number a Complete Story, and every Number containing Thirty-two Pages of well-printed matter, in book size, folded into an Illustrated Wrapper.' Excessively scarce: no copy on COPAC or WorldCat.

12mo: [vi] + iv + 80. In original grey printed wraps, on which the name of the London publishers Kent features before Penny's (the actual title page simply gives 'Frome: W. C. & J. Penny.') Text clear and complete. On aged and slightly grubby paper. Wraps worn and stained. Recently bound in grey boards, with red leather label gilt on front. Ownership inscription at head of front wrap, dated 25 May 1878. Fly leaf with contemporary quotation decrying the books publication, 'as it may deter some more capable writer with better sources of information at his command'.

12mo: 24 pp. Leaf dimensions: 15.5 x 9.5 cms. Unbound. Good, on aged paper with fraying to extremities and a little light staining to title. Decorative title-page with vignette. On verso of title: list of twenty-three 'Penny Histories' ('Crown 12mo. Three or upwards sent post free to any address, on receipt of stamps to the amount') and nineteen 'Penny Song Books'. Heavily worn type and loss to text at foot of three pages due to faulty imposition. According to BBTI Robert Benson Bowman was active in Newcastle from before 1826 to after 1859.