1960 Sunday Missal Vintage Leather Catholic Prayer Book Illustrated Slipcase
 
Bibliographic Details
 
Title: The Sunday Missal for All Sundays and Principal Feasts of the Year
Publisher: Reli Limited, London (Made in Belgium)
Publication Date: 1960
Format: Pocket-sized leather hardback
Binding: Original black leather over boards, gilt decoration, gilt lettering to panelled spine, all edges gilt, rounded corners, 3 ribbon markers
Illustrations: Colour frontispiece + small decorative illustrations throughout
Extras: Original card slipcase
Pagination: 451 pages
Dimensions: 16.8 cm × 9.3 cm × 2.4 cm (in slipcase)
Weight: Approx. 222 g
 
Physical Description & Condition
 
This vintage 1960 Catholic missal is finely bound in black leather with gilt decoration on the front cover and spine. The book retains its original slipcase, showing expected rubbing and splits at the edges.
 
The boards and spine remain intact and robust, with light rubbing to the leather and some small marks consistent with age.
 
Inside, the book is clean and largely uncreased, and the pages are tightly bound. There are no pen or pencil inscriptions present. Pages are lightly tanned, with gilt edges, and the text is supported by three attached ribbon bookmarks. Small flaws include:
 
A rip at the top edge of page 81 (not affecting text)
Remnants of paper pasted to the back pastedown
Very small amount of ink at the very top of a few pages
 
Overall, the book is in good vintage condition, with all 451 pages complete and tightly bound.
 
Illustrations
 
Frontispiece in colour
Small black-and-white illustrations integrated into text
Decorative typographic elements throughout
 
Content Overview
 
This 1960 edition contains:
The full Sunday Missal for all Sundays and principal feasts of the year
Benediction, Vespers, and Compline
A collection of Catholic prayers
Arranged according to the latest decrees of the Church at the time
 
About the Publisher
 
Reli Limited, London specialised in the publication of Catholic liturgical texts in the mid-20th century. This edition, made in Belgium, reflects the high production quality associated with missals intended for frequent devotional use.
 
Rarity & Collectability
 
While mid-20th-century missals are not uncommon, copies in leather with gilt edges, and especially those retaining the original slipcase, are increasingly scarce. This example is enhanced by:
 
Original gilt-edged pages
Illustrated frontispiece
Three ribbon markers intact
 
Its pocket size and durability made it a much-used item; therefore, surviving copies in good condition are sought by collectors of Catholic devotional books.