With all the Antique Bibles and some "so-called" Antique Catholic Bibles I just wanted to list a few buying points for Antique (English Language) Catholic Bibles and Antique Bibles in general.

1.  Please allow me to discuss some background information. Roman Catholics were a minority in the United States and remained so until the mid to latter 1800's. American Bibles produced in this century and prior to were dominated by the Protestant Versions.  In England the Catholic Penal Laws had made the practice of Catholcism a crime.  English Catholic Bibles did not begin legal publication there until the late 1700's and  most likely full scale production didn't occur until the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829.  Plus, Catholic Bibles were specifically printed for Catholics and had to adhere to Church standards before approval.   A publisher who produced Non-Catholic Versions (i.e. King James Version or Authorized Version Bibles) had customers from several Protestant Denominations.   For these reasons and others Antique Catholic Bibles are more rare (and in general more expensive) than their Protestant counterparts.

2.  One has to be able to identify a Catholic Bible. It is my belief, some sellers label their Bibles as Catholic to possibly fetch a higher bidding price; while others assume the Bible is catholic. I have at times informed sellers of their mistake. Some change their descriptions while some others don't. So here are some things to look for in an Antique Catholic Bible.

    A.  Adherence to the Latin Vulgate. English-Catholic translations maintained a strict adherence to the Latin Vulgate. The title page will include some reference such as: "Translated from the Latin Vulgate"....along with "diligently compared to the Hebrew, Greek, and other editions in divers(diverse)languages" or something along those lines.

    B.  Translations from the vulgate to English will reference the first English-Catholic translations from the Catholic Penal period in England which were transcribed at the English College of Rheims(also Rhemes)1582 and the English College of Douay(also Doway, Douai) 1609. Also look for reference to the names Challoner and Haydock (Douay priests and scripture theologians).  Challoner is famous for his modern English revision to the Douay Rheims Bible and his revision was the Catholic Standard of English speaking countries from the 1750(s) until the mid 20th century.  Haydock compiled detailed and descriptive notes on the scriptures.  These notes were specifically geared not only to educate the reader on the scriptures and their history, but to refute the Anti-Catholic bias of the Protestant translations of the previously mentioned period in England.   His notes were sometimes included in Catholic Bibles.  Bibles containing Haydock notes enjoyed popularity and are often simply referred to as a "Haydock" Bible.

    C.  ALL of them will have some form of official Church approval. Look for either an IMPRIMATUR or an APPROBATION page. It will be from a Church Official (Cardinal, Bishop, maybe the Pope) or even several Church Officials.

    D.  Many times the simplest form of identification is the front cover. It is rare to see an Antique Protestant Bible with a tooled/ embossed leather cover with a  crucifix design (maybe some Lutheran Bibles will have one). But this was a very common practice for Antique Catholic Bibles.

3. Some things an Antique Catholic Bible will NOT have:

    A.  Adherence to the Authorized Version or Authorized and Revised Version.

    B.  Mention of  authorization from "His Majesty",  King or Prince.

    C.  Title page stating that the APOCRYPHA or "APOCRYPHA at Large" have been included with the Bible  (I see these Bibles selling as Catholic all the time).  The confusion rests with the different meanings of  Apocrypha as used by a Protestant or a Catholic.  Catholic Bibles include deuteroCanonical books.

           1)  The deuterocanonical (deuteros, "second") are those books whose Scriptural character was contested in some quarters, but which long ago gained a secure footing in the Bible of the Catholic Church, though those of the Old Testament are classed by Protestants as the "Apocrypha". These consist of seven books: Tobias, Judith, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom, First and Second Machabees; also certain additions to Esther and Daniel.
           2)  The New Testament has its deuterocanonical books and portions of books.  These are for the entire books: the Epistle to the Hebrews, that of James, the Second of St. Peter, the Second and Third of John, Jude, and Apocalypse; giving seven in all as the number of the New Testament contested books. The formerly disputed passages are three: the closing section of St. Mark's Gospel, xvi, 9-20 about the apparitions of Christ after the Resurrection; the verses in Luke about the bloody sweat of  Jesus, xxii, 43, 44; the Pericope Adulterae, or narrative of the woman taken in adultery, St. John, vii, 53 to viii, 11.

    D.  A statement of the translation from the Original Tongues or the Original Greek.

    E.  References to scriptural theologians such as Dr. John Kitto, Alvin Bond, Rev. Brown, Scott and Henry to name a few.

    F.  Reference as a Parallel Bible, Self-Interpreting Bible.

    G.  Adherence to King James or KJV.

4.  Here are some things to look for when you have decided to bid.

    A.  Attached covers. No matter what a seller may say; paying for bookbinder to reattach the original cover on the Antique Bible (especially the large, pulpit style) isn't cheap. That is not to say one won't be worth bidding on because a cover is detached, but attached covers certainly increase the value by a large amount. As expensive and popular as these Antique Bibles have become this may be the only way one may be able to afford to acquire one. Even then some of them, if in good condition, (aside from the detached cover) still may run well over $100.00.

    B.  Having a title page is also very important. It serves as the main identifier for the type of Bible; plus it will usually provide reference to the year, publisher, and supplementary information included in the Bible (concordance, biblical dictionary, illustrations, tables, etc...).

    C.  KNOW the stability of the binding (THIS IS HUGE). Ask the seller if you are unsure! Having a bookbinder rebind one of these larger Bibles is very expensive and time consuming. I dropped off one to my binder and he had it 6 months before it was ready ( and I don't even want to mention what it is cost me).  On the flip side....if a seller has a Bible that has been recently professionally rebound and/or restored this will GREATLY increase the value of the Bible. Expect to pay a very high price for one, because they will be in better and stronger condition( the binding that is...) than a pristine Antique Bible that has never been rebound.

    D.  Extras add desirability.  The affore mentioned Haydock's notes are currently a hot item.  So much so that Loreto Publishers, Catholic Treasures and the like are selling excellent reprints of these Haydock Bibles.  Other desirable elements are the inclusion of "The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary", Catholic Bible Dictionary, A History of the Catholic Bible, Stations of the Cross, the Parables of Jesus Christ, and etc....Any of these added contents will usually increase the bidding price.  Illustrated Bibles are also very desirable.  The plate engravings included in many old Bibles are beautiful examples of art and are highly sought after.

    E.  Decoration.  The ornateness of the exterior of a Bible alone can drive the price up.  The term "all that glitters is not gold" does not necessarily apply.  Collectors and enthusiasts will bid on a Bible just because the exterior itself is a work of art.  Beautifully embossed covers, gold decor inlay, and other decorative features are all some buyers need to see to prompt bids.  Look for the presence or absence of clasps.  The decorative clasps that came with some Bibles usually did not endure.  They became detached and lost through the years.  A Bible in terrible condition that still has clasps in good shape will be desirable for the clasps alone.  The below photos are some examples of two highly decorative Irish Bibles with attached clasps and brass edging.

5.  While I don't consider myself an expert,  I am sharing what I've found so far. There are some experts out there in the Ebay world. I know of one who has even published a book on the subject. So the information is  available. Do your research and hopefully you'll avoid any bad buys.  For a history of English Language Catholic Bibles and some photos of some superb Antique Catholic Bibles see this website....
www.douaybible.com.