ROWLETT’S TABLES OF DISCOUNT, OR INTEREST By John Rowlett, Late Accountant, Bank
of North America Philadelphia: Printed for the Proprietor, by Hugh Maxwell, Columbia House
Anno Domini 1802 — “And the Twenty-Fifth Year of the Independence of the United
States” First Edition | Full Leather | Thumb-Indexed
A piece of early American financial and Revolutionary history.
This 1802 Philadelphia imprint is a first edition of one of the most important practical financial
reference books of the early American republic. It was designed to allow bankers, merchants,
and individuals to quickly calculate interest and discount at six percent — covering every dollar
from one to two thousand, every month from one to twelve, and every day from one to sixty-four.
Comprising upwards of 156,900 individual calculations, it was an essential tool in an era before mechanical calculators.
The Bank of North America Connection
The author, John Rowlett, was the Late Accountant of the Bank of North America — the very first chartered bank in the United States, established by the Continental Congress in 1781. This is not a peripheral connection: the Bank of North America was the financial backbone of the new American republic, and Rowlett’s tables were specifically designed around the principles and practices of that institution.
The dedication page reads:
“Dedicated, by permission, to John Nixon, Esq. President, and to the Directors of the Bank of
North America.”
The Dedication to John Nixon
John Nixon is one of the most historically significant figures in early American history. On July 8, 1776 — four days after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence — Colonel John Nixon stood in the yard of the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) and conducted the very first public reading of the Declaration of Independence to the citizens of Philadelphia. He later served as President of the Bank of North America. Rowlett dedicated this book to him by permission, describing the directors as “Gentlemen, who have so long directed
the first established Bank in the United States.”
The Horstmann Provenance
The title page bears two ownership inscriptions: “Ign. F. Horstmann 1879” and “Ign. F.
Horstmann D.D.” These signatures almost certainly belong to Ignatius Frederick Horstmann
(1840–1908), a prominent Philadelphia-born Catholic priest who was consecrated as the third
Bishop of Cleveland in 1892. The Horstmann name was deeply embedded in Philadelphia’s civic and commercial life — the family firm, Horstmann Brothers & Co., was the most prominent manufacturer of military uniforms, swords, and insignia in 19th-century America, outfitting officers on both sides of the Civil War. This copy passed through the hands of a member of that distinguished Philadelphia family.
Also in George Wythe’s Library
This edition is documented in the library of George Wythe — one of the Founding Fathers, a
signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the first law professor in the United States.
Wythe’s copy of this exact 1802 edition was later acquired by Thomas Jefferson and sold by
Jefferson to the Library of Congress in 1815. The book appears in the Jefferson Inventory of
Wythe’s Library as “Rowlett’s tables. 4to.”
Condition
This is a heavily worn working copy — the binding is in advanced deterioration and the pages
show moisture staining throughout. All damage is fully disclosed and photographed. The text is
complete and legible. This is a book for the serious collector of early American financial history,
Philadelphia history, or Revolutionary-era Americana who values content and provenance over
cosmetic condition.
Shipping: USPS Media Mail, carefully packed. No returns on this item — condition is fully
disclosed.