1814 Student’s Cipher Book Replete With Cases to Support Mathematical Application in Real World Settings

On offer is a centuries-old superb example of a mathematics cipher (or cypher) book.

The author's name is inscribed on the inside front cover but would require an expert in copperplate printing to decipher it. However, the date is quite clear – 1814.

This handwritten journal of mathematical calculations and equations includes sections on Geometry, Algebra, Arithmetic Calculations, Weights and Measures and Money (Pounds, Shillings and Pence). The teacher was likely guided by one of the many arithmetic textbooks still in wide use in the early 1800s. He would have expected the student to memorize rules and examples and thus learn how to carry out the mathematical operations for later use in business.

The 'Cases' section towards the back of the book is an example of this teaching method. Our student would have copied down the cases to follow later rather than simply a general principle. The teacher probably also expected the student to copy the material neatly. This not only offered an opportunity to practice his penmanship but prepared a reference book for him to use as an adult.

This is a superb example of the key learning tool by which mathematics was taught in the 19th century. Without a doubt, it helped convey a real sense of ownership of the mathematical principles inscribed within and were valued possessions for many students. A researcher studying the roots of modern mathematics and mathematics teaching would find this a valuable reference work. Contemporary research has shown that cipher books are not widely available any more as a tool for research and study. This volume is a classic example of that lost learning instrument.

Notes on Cipher Books: Cipher books went by many names: cyphering books, copy books, arithmetic books, etc. By the late 19th / early 20th century, the advent of commercially-produced arithmetic books led to the demise of student-prepared cipher books. Most of the powerful abstract mathematical theories in use today originated in the 19th century, In the 18th and early 19th centuries, when paper was still expensive and textbooks not generally available, students who learned arithmetic sometimes wrote out their own texts by hand.

Measuring 13 inches by 8 inches, it contains 22 pages and is 100% complete. The cover is a thicker paper and is in good condition. The paper used for the pages is coarse, firmly bound and completely intact. The handwriting is copperplate and quite legible.