The book contents are Illustrations of Swedish Coats of arms divided into three sections, Grefvar (Counts), Friherrar (Barons) and Ridders- Och Adelsmän (Knights and Nobles)
Plate 1 from the Grefvar section (1 inch / 25.4 mm coin for scale)
The engraver signature that appears on many of the plates is C. Bergquist (with Sculpsit meaning engraver)
This appears to be Carl Bergquist (1711-1781) a Swedish engraver.
Trying to narrow the likely date; his son Carl Eric Lagerheim (Ennobled in 1777 he assumed the name Lagerheim, in 1807 he was elevated to the rank of baron.) is listed in the Friherrar section of the index. which should place the book publication data after 1807 which would be after his father's death.
Could this be engraved by Eric, maybe?
The final plate, a suplement to the Ridders- Och Adelsmän section has the Signature C. Bergquist Sculpsit ætatis 70 which appears to be 'C. Bergquist engraved at the age of 70' if this was the father, the engraving would have been completed just before his death. One wonders if he knew this was likely his last work, when he added the notably diiferent signature..
The index may offer additional clues to the date, (of at least this edition) the reference to 'von Stjernmans and Baron Rhebinders' Registers' may bound earliest date (for this edition).
Update: The plot sickens; during conservation and scanning an additional engraver's signature was found, conveniently dated 1746 found on plate 5
of the Barons and on plate 4 as just Geringius, (the first exstant page with a signature, plate 3 of the Barons like the title pages is missing).
This will be Eric Geringuis; noting the date, 1746, he died in January of 1747, and was a cousin of the aforementioned Carl Bergquist so this is a second engraver for whom this may have been their last work.
Looking further into the Barons and the knights and Nobles sections pages are more frequently signed, and alternate between the two engravers, before Eric's signature disapears, likely indicating Eric brought in his cousin to take over the project with his health failing, or the scope of the project becoming obvious.
The text and its translation:
Att hjelpa den felagtighet uti Nummereringen, som i denna Vapen-Bok ibland Friherre-Ätterne
till N: o 241, och ibland de Adelige allt till N: o 1980, derigenom uppkommit, att en del Vapen
blifvit förbigångne, (hvilka likväl nu, uppå tvänne särskildta blad, blifvit tillsatte) har man
i detta Register, vid hvart och ett Namn utsatt den Nummer, Famillen på Riddarhuset, efter von
Stjernmans och Baron Rhebinders Matrikel verkeligen äger; fastän dess Vapen på den anvista sidan,
ofta under en annan och origtig Nummer igenfås.
To remedy the error in the numbering, which in this Book of Arms among the Barons' Families up to No. 241,
and among the Nobles up to No. 1980, has arisen as a result of some Arms being omitted (which have now,
however, been added on two separate pages), the number assigned to each name in this Register is the number
that the Family of the Knights' House, according to the von Stjernmans and Baron Rhebinders' Registers,
actually owns; although its Arms on the relevant page are often found under a different and incorrect number.
† betyder att Familien är utdöd.
† means the family is extinct.
* att Ätten, eller nägon Gren deraf, blifvit upphöjd i Grefve- eller Friherre-,värdighet.
* that the family, or any branch thereof, has been elevated to the dignity of Count or Baron.
S. i pagineringen, betyder att Vapnet igensökes pä Supplementet eller sista bladet.
S. in the pagination, means that the Coat of Arms is searched on the Supplement or last page.
We are almost done reconstructing the index, the pages are badly degraded, missing some parts of some of the pages, and some parts being otherwise unreadable.
The Index will probably be added here and included in the Name Search system.
Patron support will help with the scanning and conservation of the document.
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