Figure 11
Portion of 30-line Letters of Indulgence, Mainz
From Catalogue of XVth Century Books in the British Museum (record) and Uniuersis Cristifidelib[us] p[o]ntes l[itte]ras inspecturis Paulinus Chappe Consiliari[us] (scan)
1455
The first type employed in Germany was a gothic or black-letter character. The earliest dated piece of printing from German gothic type known is the Letters of Indulgence, issued at Mainz in 1454. This indulgence was granted by Pope Nicholas V to all Christians who, during three years preceding, had given money to help on the war against the Turks. The agents who sold manuscript copies, which were brought out in the early months of the same year (1454), apparently had heard, meanwhile, of printing, and recognized its utility for producing leaflets of this sort in quantity. So they ordered copies of the Indulgence in two styles one set in 30-line form, of which there were three issues—one in 1454 and two in 1455.