The Golden Compasses

The History of the House of Plantin-Moretus

[p. 519]

Appendix 7
Sales Figures for Some Publications of Plantin^1.

Reynaert de Vos, in 8^o

Illustrated popular novel in Dutch and French. Number of copies printed: 1600. First copy sold on 26th June 1566.

	1566	1567	1568	Total 1566-68
Netherlands
Antwerp, bookshop	29	25	46	100
Antwerp, booksellers	41	44	110	195
	_____
Total Antwerp	70	69	156	295
Present-day Belgium
Booksellers
Bruges	4	-	-	4
Brussels	4	22	4	30
Ghent	9	-	4	13
Liège	5	2	2	9
Louvain	30	62	2	94
Malines	-	4	12	16
Tournai	2	-	-	2
Ypres	1	-	6	7
	_____
Total Belgium	55	90	30	175
Present-day Northern France
Booksellers
Cambrai	1	8	4	13
Douai	8	6	-	14
Lille	-	-	6	6
	_____
Total Northern France	9	14	10	33

1. Compiled on the basis of the journals of 1566 (Arch. 44), 1567 (Arch. 45) and 1568 (Arch. 46).

[p. 520]

	1566	1567	1568	Total 1566-68
Present-day Netherlands
Booksellers
Amsterdam	18	2	1	21
Bois-le-Duc	1	-	13	14
Breda	4	24	-	28
Delft	8	-	-	8
Haarlem	3	-	-	3
Maastricht	5	3	-	8
Utrecht	2	4	-	6
	_____
Total Northern Netherlands	41	33	14	88
Private customers Southern and Northern Netherlands	33	1	10	44
Germany
Cologne	-	-	11	11
Heidelberg	-	6	-	6
	_____
Total Germany	-	6	11	17
Summary
Antwerp	70	69	156	295
Present-day Belgium	55	90	30	175
Present-day Northern France	9	14	10	33
Present-day Netherlands	41	33	14	88
Private customers	33	1	10	44
Germany	-	6	11	17
	_____
Grand total	208	213	231	652

Ratio between cost price and sales figures
Cost price^1.
Composition and printing of text, and paper	59 fl. 4 st.
Cost of illustration	93 fl. 8 st.
	_____
Total for 1,600 copies	152 fl. 10 st.
i.e., cost price per copy	1.9 st.
For some unknown reason Plantin disregarded the cost of illustration, hence his cost price was slightly under	¾ st.

1. Arch. 4, f^o 80^vo.

[p. 521]

Sales figures
In 1566: 208 copies sold, bringing	15 fl. 12 st.
In 1567: 213 copies sold, bringing	15 fl. 19½ st.
In 1568: 231 copies sold, bringing	17 fl. 4½ st.
	_____
Total: 652 copies sold, bringing	48 fl. 16 st.
Average price per copy sold	1½ st.
Theoretical value of total run (1600 copies)	120 fl.

Valerius Flaccus, in 16mo

Classical author in Latin. Number of copies printed: 1000. First copy sold on 13th August 1566.

	1566	1567	1568	Total 1566-68
Netherlands
Antwerp, bookshop	-	3	-	3
Antwerp, booksellers	-	1	-	1
Present-day Belgium
Booksellers
Bruges	1	1	-	2
Liège	2	2	-	4
Louvain	55	2	-	57
	_____
Total present-day Belgium	58	9	-	67
Present-day Northern France
Booksellers
Arras	2	-	-	2
Cambrai	2	-	-	2
Douai	-	2	-	2
Lille	-	-	1	1
	_____
Total Northern France	4	2	1	7
Present-day Netherlands
Booksellers
Alkmaar	-	-	2	2
Haarlem	3	-	-	3
	_____
Total Northern Netherlands	3	-	2	5
Private customers Netherlands	-	-	2	2

[p. 522]

	1566	1567	1568	Total 1566-68
Germany
Frankfurt (Fair)	150	-	32	182
Cologne (booksellers)	4	-	-	4
	_____
Total Germany	154	-	32	186
France
Paris (Plantinian bookshop)	-	25	-	25
Paris (booksellers)	4	-	6	10
	_____
Total France	4	25	6	35
England
London (booksellers)	6	27	-	33
Italy
Rome (booksellers)	-	-	2	2
Venice (booksellers)	2	-	-	2
	_____
Total Italy	2	-	2	4
Portugal
Lisbon (booksellers)	-	4	-	4
Summary
Antwerp & present-day Belgium	58	9	-	67
Present-day France	4	2	1	7
Present-day Netherlands	3	-	2	5
Private customers Netherlands	-	-	2	2
Germany	154	-	32	186
France	4	25	6	35
England	6	27	-	33
Italy	2	-	2	4
Portugal	-	4	-	4
	_____
Grand total	231	67	45	343

[p. 523]

Ratio between cost price and sales figures
Cost price for 1000 copies^1.	49 fl. 2 st.
i.e., per copy (as calculated by Plantin)	1 st.
Sales figures
In 1566: 231 copies sold, bringing	17 fl. 6½ st.
In 1567: 67 copies sold, bringing	5 fl. 5 st.
In 1568: 45 copies sold, bringing	3 fl. 7½ st.
	_____
Total: 343 copies sold, bringing	25 fl. 19 st.
Average price per copy sold	1½ st.
Theoretical value of total run (1000 copies)	75 fl.

1. Arch. 4, f^o 84^vo.

Vesalius-Valverda, Vivae imagines partium corporis humani, in folio.

Illustrated medical treatise in Latin. Number of copies printed: 600. First copy sold on 27th March 1566.

	1566	1567	1568	Total 1566-68
Netherlands
Antwerp, bookshop	9	5	8	22
Antwerp, booksellers	17	13	17	47
Present-day Belgium
Booksellers
Bruges	4	-	-	4
Brussels	2	-	-	2
Ghent	1	-	-	1
Liège	1	-	-	1
Louvain	11	7	1	19
Malines	1	-	-	1
Tournai	4	-	-	4
	_____
Total present-day Belgium	50	25	26	101
Present-day Northern France
Douai (bookseller)	-	2	-	2
Present-day Netherlands
Booksellers
Amsterdam	-	2	3	5
Breda	2	-	-	2
Delft	1	-	-	1
Haarlem	-	-	3	3
Utrecht	1	-	-	1
	_____
Total Northern Netherlands	4	2	6	12

[p. 524]

	1566	1567	1568	Total 1566-68
Private customers Netherlands	10	-	2	12
Germany
Augsburg (booksellers)	-	-	2	2
Cologne (booksellers)	5	-	-	5
Emmerich (booksellers)	1	-	-	1
Frankfurt (Fair)	20	-	-	20
Heidelberg (booksellers)	-	25	-	25
	_____
Total Germany	26	25	2	53
France
Lyons	13	-	6	19
Paris (plantinian shop)	25	57	-	82
Paris (booksellers)	26	-	2	28
	_____
Total France	64	57	8	129
England
London	16	10	4	30
Italy
Rome (booksellers)	-	-	2	2
Venice (booksellers)	2	-	-	2
	_____
Total Italy	2	-	2	4
Iberian Peninsula
(regular and occasional booksellers, private customers)
Lisbon	-	1	-	1
Madrid	-	-	1	1
Sevilla	-	-	7	7
	_____
Total Iberian Peninsula	-	1	8	9

[p. 525]

Summary
Antwerp & present-day Belgium	50	25	26	101
Northern France Present-day	-	2	-	2
Present-day Netherlands	4	2	6	12
Private customers Netherlands	10	-	2	12
Germany	26	25	2	53
France	64	57	8	129
England	16	10	4	30
Italy	2	-	2	4
Iberian Peninsula	-	1	8	9
	_____
Grand total	172	122	58	352

Ratio between cost price and sales figures
Cost price for 600 copies^1.	788 fl. 8 st.
i.e. per copy (as calculated by Plantin)	1 fl. 6½ st.

Sales figures
In 1566: 172 copies sold, bringing	430 fl.
In 1567: 122 copies sold, bringing	305 fl.
In 1568: 58 copies sold, bringing	145 fl.
	_____
Total: 352 copies sold, bringing	880 fl.
Average price per copy sold	2 fl. 10 st.
Theoretical value of total run (600 copies)	1,500 fl.

1. Arch. 4, f^o 80^vo. For the details of the cost of manufacture, cf. p. 384.