Smith, Adam "Wealth of Nations" [Stirling & Slade, 1819] Economics

SMITH, Adam. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations.

Edinburgh: Stirling & Slade, Adam Black, and Fairbairn; with additional Edinburgh and London booksellers, 1819. Complete in three volumes. Contemporary full calf with gilt-decorated spines, green morocco spine labels, gilt board borders, and marbled endpapers and edges. Ownership label of Thomas Fairbairn to front pastedown. Scattered foxing and toning throughout, heaviest to title pages and preliminary leaves. Bindings remain sound and attractive, with rubbing and wear to joints, corners, and extremities, minor losses to gilt, and a few scuffs to boards. Very Good.

Early nineteenth-century edition of Adam Smith’s landmark work, issued with a biography of the author and a comparative essay on Smith’s economic doctrines in relation to the French Economists. First published in 1776, The Wealth of Nations established the foundations of classical economics and remains one of the most influential works ever written on trade, labor, markets, and political economy.

A handsome contemporary three-volume set retaining its original decorative calf bindings, marbled endpapers, and marbled text edges. The elegant Edinburgh binding and substantial format reflect the continued importance of Smith’s work in the decades following its initial publication, when it had already become a cornerstone of economic thought throughout Britain and beyond.