1850 Rare Bible bound by Bagster - Polyglot Bible, Old and New Testament, Clasp

Author: [Unattributed; various scriptural editors].
Title: The English Version of the Polyglot Bible; Containing the Old and New Testaments: With a Copious and Original Selection of References.
Publisher: London, Samuel Bagster and Sons, no date (circa 1850).
Language: Text in English.
Size: 6.5" x 4.5".
Pages: 585-188 pages.
Binding: Attractive and near fine period full burgundy morocco leather binding, deeply paneled and blind-stamped in ornamental patterns. Beveled boards with elaborate brass edging and a working clasp. Gilt lettering to spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. All edges richly gilt.
Content: Near fine content (bright, tight and clean - as shown).
Illustrations: Includes colored engraved maps, including one showing the “Settlement of Nations by the Descendants of Noah.” Complete.

Estimate: (USD 400–500).

The book: A superb example of mid-19th-century English Bible publishing, this Polyglot Bible by Samuel Bagster was prized for its interlinear structure and rich references to numerous versions and languages—including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Unlike traditional polyglots that place multiple columns side by side, this edition features a fully English text with an exceptional apparatus of references and explanatory materials. The present copy is a particularly desirable example, preserved in richly tooled morocco leather, framed in brass, and fitted with a decorative clasp—hallmarks of Bagster's deluxe bindings.

The publisher: Samuel Bagster (1772–1851) was a prominent London publisher known for his innovations in biblical typography and his pioneering efforts in printing polyglot Bibles. His editions were renowned for their accuracy, scholarly rigor, and beauty. Bagster’s family business continued well into the Victorian era, producing Bibles in a wide variety of languages and bindings, catering to both scholars and the devout laity.