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RARE 1868 Thames Goldfield Miner’s Guide - New Zealand History - Reading Copy
Item Overview
This is a rare original 1868 edition of "The Thames Miner's Guide," published in Auckland by W. C. Wilson for Edward Wayte. This book was the definitive manual for the thousands of prospectors who flocked to the Coromandel during the 1867–68 New Zealand Gold Rush. Authored primarily by Edward Clarke, it contains fascinating technical contemporary advice on quartz crushing, metallurgy, and mining laws.
Condition Report - PLEASE READ
This copy is offered as a "Reading/Reference" copy due to significant defects:
Missing Map: The large fold-out map originally included in this edition is missing.
Cover: Original cloth binding. The cloth is peeling/lifting at the top left corner of the back cover, with significant wear and fraying to the spine and edges.
Spine: The bottom portion of the spine cloth is loose/perished.
Interior: The binding remains surprisingly tight and secure.
Markings: There is vintage ink-penning (signatures) on the inside cover and contents page. Part of the paper on the front inside cover (middle left) has been worn away.
Pages: Scattered "foxing" and brown age-spots, particularly on the rear pages.
Historical Significance
Despite the missing map, this 158-year-old volume remains a vital piece of NZ mining history. It provides an eyewitness perspective on the birth of Thames and Grahamstown, recorded at a time when the population of the goldfields had famously surpassed that of Auckland.
Technical Details
Author: Edward Clarke (Sub-editor of the Daily Southern Cross)
Year Published: 1868
Place of Publication: Auckland, New Zealand
Format: Cloth Hardcover
Pages: ~98 pages (plus original publisher advertisements)
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