London Almanac for the Year of Christ 1856. Company of Stationers. [London]. 1855. >>RARE FINGER EDITION<<

 Curious finger edition. 24 unnumbered pages; engraved throughout. Calendar including saints days, plus a table of Kings and Queens, Lord mayors and Aldermen, Great State Officers, stamps, and bank transfer days. First produced in 1749 -that first edition survivng in a unique copy at the British Library, London Almanac continued annually until 1889.  Inner hinge split at title page. A few marginal stains in the first few leaves. 17 x 60 mm. 5/8 x 2 3/8 inches. Original olive green leather venetian mosaic binding with stylised flower motifs in gilt in the diamond red central panels and surrounding cream onlaid borders with lavishly gilt decorations; spine with hand-tooled scrolling decoration in gilt. Minuscule missing end of one onlay on the back cover. No slipcase. Welsh just notes a single copy, #118, listed in Duschnes Catalogue 163, November 1963. There is a 1733 copy of the London Almanac in the larger format in Her Majesty Queen Mary's Dolls' House. Bondy, 41. Not in Spielmann. Welsh, 4672. WorldCat locates no copies worldwide of this edition.