Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

Some customers like to see a date printed on a map, and we’re often asked how we know when a particular map was published if that is not the case. We’re always happy to provide a certificate of authenticity for any maps purchased, detailing the provenance of the map and our opinion of its publication date, and to let you know how we dated the map or print.

While older and individually published maps frequently do have a date printed on them, many 19th century and later atlases and books do not state the publication date on each individual map therein. Even where a date is printed on the map, this may be the date or year when the plate was originally engraved – it does not preclude the map having actually been printed later than that, if the publisher did not update the date stated in the plate or block at the time of printing a later edition.

If a map has been extracted directly from an atlas, dating is usually straightforward as the publication date of the atlas is almost invariably printed on the title page of the book (although publication dates of subsequent editions or impressions were occasionally not altered). If we are selling a map that we have purchased as part of a complete atlas, we usually retain the title page, and can produce a digital copy upon request. However, if we are selling an individual map that we have purchased as such, we may need to do a little research and make other checks to verify or estimate the publication date. There are several helpful indicators we can use.

The plates or blocks from which maps were made deteriorated progressively with use; initial impressions made using a particular plate are usually strong, crisp and clear, indicating an early edition, while a weaker impression lacking some fine detail might indicate a later print.

Then as now, map makers needed to keep their maps up to date with events and new discoveries: changing geographical features such as railways, national borders, or revisions to coastlines reflecting recent surveys often provide important dating clues.

Plates sometimes stayed in use for decades, and often changed hands between one firm of cartographic publisher and another mapmaker – publishers were usually keen to take credit for their work, and the name of the publisher was usually printed on the map, which can often conclusively narrow the range of possible publication dates. Printed text, and the content or positioning of vignettes or cartouches often changed with subsequent editions of a map.

Finally, the quality or thickness of paper used may well have changed between publication of different editions or impressions, and old paper used in map making often contained a watermark which can provide an important clue as to the provenance of the map. Such changes are usually catalogued in the many thoroughly-researched cartographic reference books available to map dealers which detail the various progressive states of each important map.

For example, Camden's Britannia, originally published in Latin in 1586 by William Camden, was later republished in four English editions of the atlas translated by Gibson were published in 1695, 1722, 1753 and 1772, each accompanied by the highly regarded maps of Robert Morden. If acquired as separate sheets, the maps can be dated by reference to the size and thickness (the first edition was printed on smaller sheets with narrower margins, and thinner more brittle paper), and by holding the paper up to the light to see the watermarks and other distinguishing features, which differed from one edition to another.

Certain maps may be closely dated by reference to the content of the map. Several editions of Bacon's Large Scale Atlases of London, published between the late 19th century and approximately 1930, did not contain a date on the title page, however this during London's period of rapid development and growth, and it is always possible to date these atlases accurately by comparison with other maps, or the known date of new developments and buildings. New stations were frequently added to the London Underground network during this period, and their names changed; their inclusion or exclusion can usually help to pinpoint the date of publication of the map very closely.

In general terms, printing methods used varied and evolved over time, and each printing method imparted differing physical characteristics onto the page; it is usually possible to estimate a rough publication date from simple observation of the physical characteristics of the map or print. For example, engraved copperplate maps were inked and applied to the page under pressure to create printed maps, leaving a distinctive platemark around the edge of the map. Copper was increasingly replaced by the use of steel for engraving from around the 1820s; steel allowed for finer detail to be imparted onto the plate, and was harder wearing, allowing for more impressions to be made before the plate wore out. It is usually possible to tell a copperplate from a steel impression by reference to the level of detail contained in the image. Engraved plates, printed using a press, often resulted in parts of the sheet. The act of applying pressure to an inked sheet caused the ink to behave in a certain way, in some parts of the sheet the ink might be forced through the paper, causing ink spots on the reverse side, or in attempting to escape the pressure, a characteristic pattern might be seen around the edges of the inked area, awhich can be seen with a magnifying glass. The pressure caused by the printing press on the sheet, particularly in the case of line engravings, also resulted in distinctive elevated ridges on the reverse side of the sheet, which can usually be felt with a finger or thumb.

Creating engraved prints and maps was a time consuming and expensive endeavour, requiring skilled workmen and artists, first to draw the map or picture, and then to transfer it by engraving onto a sheet of metal or wood. It started to be replaced by much cheaper modern lithographic printing methods from the 1870s, and had substantially ceased to be used as a printing method by around 1910. We can thus be fairly confident that any print or map which displays the physical characteristics of an engraving was printed before this date.

We are always happy to provide a Certificates of Authenticity upon request. If you request a certificate before your order has been dispatched, it will be included with your order. If you request a certificate after your order has been dispatched, it will sent in pdf format by email for you to print out yourself. In common with most antique map and print dealers, we do not automatically offer certificates of authenticity. However, any reputable dealer should be prepared to provide a certificate of authenticity upon request.

From time to time a customer asks how a map can be an “original” when we have more than one in stock, or when we have another map which is the same or similar, or when he or she has seen the same map somewhere else. Printed maps are created from a single manuscript (literally, hand drawn) map from which the engraver made the block or plate. It could be argued that only the unique manuscript map is the “original”; with a painting, this is clearly true, but in the map trade it has always been the case that any impression made from a particular woodblock, copper plate or steel plate has been regarded as an “original” example of the map, and until that plate or block was destroyed “originals” could be printed from it. That of course means that many “original” examples may exist, although each block or plate has a limited life due to its physical limitations, and only a finite number of prints can be made from it. The number of impressions of a map which can be made from a woodblock is fairly limited before wear to the block causes each printed impression to progressively deteriorate. The longevity of copper plates is greater than that of wood, although being a fairly soft metal it too deteriorates over time. The introduction of the use of harder steel plates for map making in the early 19th century increased the durability of the plates, and commensurately extended the life of the plates and the number of original impressions that could be created from a single plate. For that reason, maps printed after about 1830 tend to be more numerous and common than earlier copperplate or woodblock maps.

Most items that we offer for sale can be authenticated by reference to their physical characteristics. Different printing methods produce prints with differing physical characteristics. It is not possible to replicate all these physical characteristics using modern planographic printing methods.

Engraving was the most common printing method in 19th century books and newspapers. Engravings are very labour-intensive to produce, and this printing method was largely replaced as the main method of commercial printing by offset lithography within a decade or so of the invention of the latter around 1890. Engraved prints bear characteristic features of engraving which cannot be replicated with modern planographic printing or copying methods. A wood engraved print is created from a wooden block which is carved or engraved before being inked and applied to a page under pressure. The pressure produces small ridges on the page, and the act of the pressure causes the ink to try to escape from the raised parts of the block. This results in characteristic ink patterns around the main printed part of the page. Both the ridges and the small ink patterns can be seen under a strong magnifying glass or linen tester at 10x magnification or above; sometimes the ridges caused by the pressure can be seen with the naked eye. The pressure also sometimes forces small spots of ink through the page, appearing as dots on the reverse side of the page. The ridges caused by pressure exerted by printing the text on the reverse side of the page are often particularly noticeable upon close inspection.

The use of a plate or block applied under pressure to the page often result in a rectangular impression left by the plate (the plate mark) around the outside of the print, although this will not be the case where the plate is larger than the page itself.

The date of publication is sometimes printed on an old map or print; this was more frequently the case for older (18th century or earlier) and larger folio maps. However, most of our stock of old maps and prints does not have the publication date printed on it; if this is important to you, please ask before purchasing. 

Items extracted from periodicals often have the exact date of publication printed at the top or bottom of each page; they can often otherwise be closely dated by reference to information on births, marriages, deaths or other news events printed in text elsewhere on the page. 

Individually published maps (ie maps published as separate sheets) often have their publication dates printed on them, however maps and prints which were originally published within books or atlases frequently do not have the publication date printed on each sheet.

Steel engraved prints sometimes have the year of publication printed below the image. The date of publication of prints or maps which have been extracted from a book, periodical or atlas is usually derived from the date of publication of the volume from which the item has been extracted. The date of publication of nearly all titles is stated on the title page.

We can provide a certificate of authenticity, which will include the publication date, upon request for any map or print purchased from us. We are also happy to explain how any individual item was dated.

All items offered for sale are original printed items on paper, published at the date stated in the listing, and are not modern copies. The term “Original” when applied to printmaking means that the print or map was published at the first or original date of publication and is not a later copy. “Original” does not imply that the item is unique.

The maps and prints that we sell are almost entirely created by printing; by their nature, more than one copy of these items was made (and as far as we know, is likely still to exist). Manuscript (hand drawn) maps, paintings and drawings are by their nature usually unique. We have a small stock of manuscript maps for sale. Other types of antique printed maps, particularly sea charts and other navigational maps, have often been annotated by hand at some point which imparts an element of uniqueness. We do not deal in original paintings.

Antique maps and prints were printed, engraved or drawn at least 100 years ago. We consider that vintage maps and prints were printed, engraved or drawn between 50 and 100 years ago. We sell both antique and vintage items, and a small number of items which we printed more recently than 50 years ago where we find them to be particularly interesting.

As a rule, antique items are generally more valuable than more recently published vintage items because they are usually scarcer, however there has been an increase in buyer interest in early/mid 20th century vintage maps in recent years, and certain vintage maps are very collectible. Many vintage maps and prints have the attraction of representing a place as it was during living memory, which can make them interesting and personalised gifts.

Maps and prints published before the introduction of steel engraving in about 1815 tend to be scarcer than (and hence more valuable than) later maps, because steel allowed for many more impressions (ie copies) to be printed from the same plate before the quality of each impression diminished due to wear to the plate.

Most items that we offer for sale can be authenticated by reference to their physical characteristics. Different printing methods produce prints with differing physical characteristics. It is not possible to replicate all these physical characteristics using modern planographic printing methods.

Engraving was the most common printing method in 19th century books and newspapers. Engravings are very labour-intensive to produce, and this printing method was largely replaced as the main method of commercial printing by offset lithography within a decade or so of the invention of the latter around 1890. Engraved prints bear characteristic features of engraving which cannot be replicated with modern planographic printing or copying methods. A wood engraved print is created from a wooden block which is carved or engraved before being inked and applied to a page under pressure. The pressure produces small ridges on the page, and the act of the pressure causes the ink to try to escape from the raised parts of the block. This results in characteristic ink patterns around the main printed part of the page. Both the ridges and the small ink patterns can be seen under a strong magnifying glass or linen tester at 10x magnification or above; sometimes the ridges caused by the pressure can be seen with the naked eye. The pressure also sometimes forces small spots of ink through the page, appearing as dots on the reverse side of the page. The ridges caused by pressure exerted by printing the text on the reverse side of the page are often particularly noticeable upon close inspection.

The use of a plate or block applied under pressure to the page often result in a rectangular impression left by the plate (the plate mark) around the outside of the print, although this will not be the case where the plate is larger than the page itself.

No, we do not sell modern reproductions. All of our maps and prints are authentic antique or vintage maps, printed or engraved at the date stated in the product description. If there is some uncertainty about the exact date of publication of a map or print, the publication date is stated to be “circa” or “c.” a given date.

However, since the earliest printed maps, the plates used to print maps (particularly pre-19th century) were frequently updated and re-used by the original cartographer or publisher, and sometimes sold on to other cartographers and publishers. A plate used to make a map may have been used to print a number of different editions, sometimes over the course of many decades after it was first created. It is therefore not uncommon to find later editions of an antique map or print, and indeed variants of a map or print by later cartographers or publishers. We do not make or publish any prints ourselves, and none of the prints or maps that we sell were printed in recent years.

We buy prints and maps from private sellers, at auction, and from book dealers. The authorship and publication for each item is stated in its product listing.