On the principles of political economy and taxation

London : John Murray, 1821. Third edition. Octavo, contemporary half calf over marbled papered boards, title label to spine (chipped), gilt rule, marbled edges and endpapers, armorial bookplate for Charles William Boase to front pastedown, pp. xii; 538, internally clean, a very good copy.

The final edition of economist Daniel Ricardo’s On the principles of political economy and taxation (first published in 1817), which revolutionised economic theory by advocating free trade as an essential element of the economy due to the comparative advantage held by different countries. He also introduced the Labor Theory of Value, which argues that the relative value of commodities is determined by the amount of labour required for their production.