A signed, commemorative first edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia. It is dated 1917 and is in its original slipcase. The cover is vellum, that is, lambskin and is stamped and hand-painted.

This volume is the letter C.

On the inside, it says:

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume I, Vatican Edition. Limited to 26 Lettered Sets.

Underneath the writing is a hand-drawn and painted image of the coat of arms of Pius X.

This was the first full length Catholic encyclopedia done in modern history. The producers of it gave a set of twenty-six volumes to Pope Pius X. He signed each volume of them and then distributed them to whomever he chose. So this is one of only twenty-six in the world. It is a very impressive looking book and very rare.