A printed receipt with some hand written text. 18th century, New Spain. The text says: Porteria del Convento de N.P.S Francisco de México y 9 del mes de Febrero de 1787 años. Mortaja bendita que lleva Dn Jose de la Riva. 12 ps. 4. rs Signed by Fr Josef Esquivel Port

Cover page of the Flos Sanctorum by Villegas,m copy of 1591.

What could you do with 12 pesos in the 1780s in #NewSpain? Get 4 second-hand volumes of Villega's #FlosSanctorum (Spanish version of #GoldenLegend). If you added 4 reales you could get a blessed shroud. Ofc, if you were dead you couldn't read so the shroud was a better investment. #BookHistory