14329 — Berlin, Verlag von R.L. Prager, 1889. Numerous tables and figures in the text. (2), viii, 277, (1, errata), (2, Vieweg und Sohn catalogue) pp. 8vo. Later half cloth, marbled boards, corners, gilt lettering to spine. Einaudi 2657; Mattioli 1479. Second issue of the very rare first edition, first published at Gossen's own expense by Vieweg in Brunswick (1854). Very few copies were sold and the book remained unnoticed for years. Shortly before his death, Gossen withdrew it from circulation and the unsold copies were returned to him. After the author had become famous, Vieweg's successor, Prager, bought this stock from Hermann Kortum (Gossen's nephew and professor of mathematics) and brought the work back on the market in 1889 with a new title page and as a 'new' edition.The importance of Gossen was brought to light by Jevons and Walras. In the second edition of The Theory of Political Economy Jevons included a generous acknowledgement of Gossen's priority 'as regards the general principles and method of the theory of Political Economy.''Gossen, though perhaps not quite a genius, had a brilliant, original and precise mind. With his one book, he moved constrained optimization into the centre of the theory of value and allocation, where it has since remained. With respect to economic content, his was probably the greatest single contribution to this theory in the 19th century' (New Palgrave, ii, p. 550-554).Inner margin of paste-downs and free first blanks reinforced with white cloth tape, two discrete stamps on verso of the title-page "Universitätsbibliothek Konstanz", two passages in the book with side marking.
