TO CHARLES THE THIRD

KING OF THE SPAINS AND THE INDIES

A large ornamental initial 'Q' depicts a landscape. In the background, a volcano, likely Mount Vesuvius, emits a plume of smoke, and a domed building stands to the right. The foreground features a scroll and various architectural or archaeological fragments, representing the author's scholarly pursuits and his travels in Italy.

What I wish I had provided much earlier, MOST AUGUST KING, I now present to You: a collection collection original: "sylloge" — a gathering or compilation of items, in this case, coins of Hebrew-Samaritan coins acquired by me during a former journey through Italy. Since I had already, of my own accord, dedicated and devoted this collection to Your Name and Majesty, I received it back from You as a sacred trust. Indeed, I would have returned it sooner, had I not been somewhat ashamed to let these coins leave my hands without explanation, especially since I hoped that I might be able to shed a significant amount of light upon them. Furthermore, I judged it proper that their engravings engravings original: "ectypa" — the molded impressions or printed reproductions of the coins [be compared] with the published examples...