The Century Dictionary Value Guide

The 1889 Century Dictionary represents a monumental achievement in American scholarship, overseen by the renowned Yale philologist William Dwight Whitney. This first volume is highly collectible due to its transition from a standard lexicon to a comprehensive encyclopedic work featuring detailed wood-engraved illustrations.

What Is The Century Dictionary Worth?

The typical price range for The Century Dictionary is $300 - $400 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Physical condition of the cloth binding, specifically looking for spine fraying or sun bleaching common in 1889 editions.
• The presence and clarity of the original ink illustrations and the lack of foxing on the internal paper pages.
• Completeness of the volume, including the intact title page and all preliminary philological front matter.
• Market demand for early American linguistic history and the specific provenance of the individual copy.

How to Identify The Century Dictionary?

• Verify the title page lists 'The Century Co.' of New York as the publisher with the 1889 copyright date.
• Check for the specific superintendence of William Dwight Whitney, Ph.D., LL.D. on the primary credits page.
• Confirm the presence of high-quality wood-engraved illustrations integrated directly into the text columns.
• Ensure the binding is the original late 19th-century cloth, typically featuring ornate gold or blind-stamped lettering.

History of The Century Dictionary

The Century Dictionary was an ambitious American dictionary project initiated in the late 19th century. Under the meticulous guidance of Yale Professor William Dwight Whitney, a renowned philologist and Sanskrit scholar, the dictionary aimed to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English lexicon of its time. It was first published in six volumes between 1889 and 1891 by The Century Co. in New York. The dictionary not only defined words but also included extensive encyclopedic information, illustrations, and etymologies, making it a monumental work of scholarship that set a new standard for dictionaries.