Supralibros

A supralibros (from Latin supra = on and libros = books, accusative case) is a coat of arms or monogram indicating the ownership of a book.

Supralibros first were used during the Renaissance, when the first large private libraries were formed.

Famous bibliophiles used much sought-after supralibros that may make a book valuable, for instance Jean Grolier, a renowned collector.

[2] Another often encountered type of supralibros is the school prize binding, a book that was awarded to an especially gifted pupil, bound in vellum or leather and stamped with the coat of arms of the city or the school that awarded the prize, with a bookplate giving the name of the pupil, dated and signed by the headmaster and other officials.

Blackwell's, a large booksellers in Oxford, will bind books and apply the supralibros of the buyer's college for a fee, usually for books bought as prize bindings.