MANUAL OF THE PRINCIPAL MINING, LAND AND EXPLORATION COMPANIES OF SOUTH AFRICA (1893)

This historical handbook, published in Paris in 1898 by Démosthène Pappa, is one of the most valuable sources of information on the heyday of the mining and gold mining industry in South Africa at the end of the 19th century. Written for the London firm H. Hanbury & Co., this reference work details the financial structures and exploration capabilities of the major mining and land companies of the time, also including a supplements on diamond mines and Indian gold mines. As the third edition, it reflects the massive enthusiasm of European investors for the Transvaal gold deposits just before the outbreak of the Second Boer War, thus providing a precise technical and economic overview of a sector then experiencing rapid global expansion.

''Contains accounts of the Witwatersrand and De Kaap Gold Fields, with descriptions of various gold-mining and exploration companies, diamond-mining ventures, &c.. There is a large map of "South Africa in 1893", a chart of the Main Reef on the Witwatersrand, and a map of the De Kaap and Moodie's Gold Fields.'' (Mendelssohn's South African Bibliography)

Sold together with an excerpt on four pages in French language about the South African gold and copper mines, printed in large format by the "H. Hanbury & Co.", 54 Old Broad Street, London and dated 30 November, 1893. The excerpt contains the sections: Review; Gold Mines (New Rietfontein, Sheba, Agnes Block, Poorman Consolidated Mines Ltd.); Dimond Mines (De Beer's); Real Estate and Exploration Companies (British South Africa Company, Consolidated Goldfields); Copper Mines; Miscellaneous Mines (South Africa); Miscellaneous Mines (worldwide); News (about diverse mines) and large full-page table titled "Mining List of Gold Mines (South African Stocks)" with the name of all South African gold mines, their capital in actions, quotation in francs, yield in ounces and dividends (the bottom part of the table-page contains also valuations of: Diamond and Gemstone Mines; Indian Mines; Real Estate, Exploration, and Holding Companies; and Miscellaneous Mines).

H. Hanbury & Co. refers to the historical London private banking house founded in 1770 as "Hanbury, Taylor, Lloyd and Bowman" at Lombard Street. Established by Osgood Hanbury and members of the Lloyd and Taylor families, it acted as the crucial London agent for the burgeoning provincial Taylors and Lloyds bank of Birmingham, eventually evolving into a direct predecessor of modern Lloyds Bank.

"Manuel des Principales Sociétés Minières, Foncières & d'Exploration du Sud-Afrique."; Professionally rebound in red half leather binding with red cloth boards (original binding was paperback); Text in French; Collation complete – Title page, 87 pages, with multiple folding map of "South Africa in 1893" (51 x 47 cm), a multiple folding chart of the "Main Reef on the Witwatersrand" (47 x 47 cm), and folding map of "The De Kaap and Moodie's Gold Fields" (28 x 22 cm); Modern half leather binding is new and in fine condition. New endpapers. Pages/text block very well preserved and most of the text block is clean, some yellowing and very occasional marginal foxing, no annotations or markings. A beautiful copy of this scarce item. The 4-page excerpt sold together with the book is in very good condition, multiple folded and with some yellowing/age tanning.

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