London Almanac for the year of Christ, 1793. Company of Stationers. London. [1792]. Portuguese craftsman's gold vermeil filigree case.

40 unnumbered leaves.Includes Phases of the moon, Saints' Days, Time of High Water at London Bridge, Kings, Queens, Lord Mayors, Sheriffs, holidays, and coins in a minuscule square format. Inner hinge partly cracked. Corners slightly worn. Uniformly age-toned. All edges gilt - but worn away largely. No inscriptions. 32 x 30 mm. Original venetian style full red calf with geometric gilt tooling , white and green overlays. In original delicately designed vermeil gold filigree case with chased clasp. Spine damaged at one end. Parts of some overlays worn and rubbed. Bondy, 164. Not in Spielmann, nor Welsh. WorldCat records no copies worldwide of this edition in this format. Bondy said vermeil gold cases such as this one were "created chiefly by Portuguese craftsmen who had emigrated to England". A significant number of Portuguese goldsmiths and silversmiths migrated to London, bringing with them intricate techniques like filigree, which involves twisting fine silver or gold wires into lace-like patterns. While vermeil itself (gold over silver) was a French invention, these Portuguese craftsmen in England applied their specialized heritage to create more ornate and textured cases than were standard in British design. During the 18th century, Portugal was the primary source of gold for England due to the discovery of massive gold deposits in Brazil. This influx of wealth meant that Portuguese craftsmen were not only fleeing economic decline at home but were following the very gold they were used to working with, as it was being shipped directly to London.