"The Holy Bible: Containing the Old Testament and the New" [J. Bill, et al., 1684]

"The Holy Bible: Containing the Old Testament and the New" [London: Printed by the Assigns of J. Bill, T. Newcomb and Hen. Hills, 1684]. King James Version. 12.5 x 6.5 cm. A-3D12, 3E6, A-D12. Old Testament ends 2Q9 verso; New Testament ends 3E6. Bound in full leather with ornate silver-mounted corners and working fore-edge clasps. Spine with elaborate gilt tooling. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. General external wear with scuffing to spine ends. Front free endpaper verso and first blank (both sides) with early ink inscriptions documenting marriages from the mid-18th century. Engraved title page with red border is nearly detached and bears additional notes on verso. Separate dated title pages for the New Testament and Book of Psalms; New Testament title verso with blue ink notations. Two blanks at rear also contain multiple early notes in ink, covering more marriages and many births in the Kent family throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Light age toning and occasional dampstain to upper gutters; a few leaves sticking. Otherwise internally clean and complete. Very Good-.

An important late 17th-century portable Bible printed during the reign of Charles II, this edition was produced by the King's printers—John Bill, Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills—who were responsible for issuing official and ecclesiastical texts. The small size, silver mounts, and gilt decoration indicate it was intended for personal devotion, possibly as a lady’s Bible. Surviving examples with intact clasps and contemporary annotations are increasingly scarce, making this a desirable copy for collectors of early English Bibles and devotional literature.