Ever since Robert
Louis Stevenson had Jim Hawkins discover a treasure map in his classic
book, Treasure Island, finding one has became the passion of many. While
many people dream about discovering a treasure map that leads to riches,
sometimes it’s the old map, itself, that’s worth money.
Collectors seek out maps for many reasons. Some appreciate the beautiful
artwork and intricate etchings on early maps and purchase them for
 decorative
purposes. Others seek all maps depicting a specific geographic area and
want representative examples of all time periods showing changes resulting
from exploration, wars, or just an increase in population.
An antique map, like any other antique, is one that was printed over 100
years ago. Beginning with those printed around 1550, cartographers
depicted the exploration and discoveries made throughout the world during
the next 350 years. During the 17th and 18th centuries, cartography became
one of the highest forms of fine art.
Just as some collectors look for accuracy, others look for inaccuracy--
towns incorrectly sited, coastlines incorrectly charted, and rivers
incorrectly routed. They also look for the anachronisms--travelers' tales
and fables adopted as fact by gullible map makers--sea-monsters that
inhabit many early charts or the fanciful medieval creatures and distorted
images of more factual animals that populated the public’s imagination.
Dealers use three terms to distinguish a map’s color: “Original coloring,”
or any map with original hand color applied soon after publication. “Old
coloring,” or color that’s old, but not original--the map may be 200 years
old but the color might possibly be 100 years old. And “recent coloring,”
or color that’s recently applied using more modern paints, either
currently or sometime earlier this century.
The makers often used Latin phrases along the borders or in the legends of
their maps. Words like sculpsit, fecit, caelavit, and incidit or incidente
referred to the engraver. Excudit, sumptibus, apud, ex officina, formis
referred to the publisher or printer. Descripsit, delineavit, invenit,
auctore referred to the draftsman or cartographer.
Antique maps can be divided into
four main groups, depending on how a single sheet of paper can be folded.
Double f olio refers to maps printed on a complete sheet, generally
measuring about 20" by 25", then folded and bound into an atlas, each
sheet or “folio” or “feuille” being a page. Quarto refers to maps printed
on one quarter of a sheet, generally about 10" by 13". Octavo refers to
maps printed on one eighth of a sheet, generally about 5" by 7". However,
printers created maps as small as 3.5" x 4.5" during the late 16th and
early 17th centuries.
As with most other antiques, quality and condition are important in map
collecting. Since antique maps are paper items, they’re subject to wear
and tear similar to any item which was intended to be used. Nearly all of
them come from atlases which may have been roughly handled. Minor defects
include marginal tears, slight brown spotting from paper aging, shadowing
where ink is transferred across a folded map and slight creasing of the
paper, not to be confused with the centerfold in most maps. Map makers
intended many larger maps to be folded into atlases. While older maps may
only be obtainable in a degraded condition, the condition will be
reflected in the price. Generally, a collector should buy a map in the
best condition that he or she can reasonably expect for its age and price.
The rarer and older it is, the more forgiving collectors are about
condition.
Dating maps can be tricky. While dating an atlas from a title page is
usually straightforward--although dates of successive editions weren’t
always altered--problems begin when individual maps are sold separately.
Essentially the collector has to rely on his or her own knowledge and on
the reputation of the seller, although certain details can be checked
without too much difficulty. If the impression is strong and clear, the
map could be from an early edition. A weak impression would probably
indicate the opposite. New discoveries shown on a map can be a useful
guide to dating.
 The
practice of coloring varied greatly. A uniformity of color strongly
suggests that the same artist colored a map, or at least the same
workshop. Then how can a collector distinguish between original and recent
color? Unfortunately, the only way is through experience and familiarity
with the subject. Those handling maps frequently will ask themselves if
the colors are appropriate to the time and subject and does the appearance
of the map generally resemble others from the same source, have the colors
been carefully and artistically applied, and do the browns, greens and
orange reds strike an authentic note. In fact, does it look right?
The ideal map, colored or uncolored, should have a strong, clear
impression with wide margins, be printed on good quality watermarked
handmade paper of the right size, free from foxing(spots caused by mold),
water stains, worm holes or repair (except perhaps to the center fold or
outside the printed surface), with an undoubted date and provenance.
The name of the maker can also add to a map’s value. Among the best known
is Dutch map maker Gerhard Kremer who operated under the name Mercator in
the later 1500s. After his death, as was typical of other map makers, his
sons and grandsons continued to issue his maps supplemented with works of
their own. Other names of the latter 1500s include Abraham Ortelius, and
John Norden. Prominent names of the 1600s were Nikolaus Visscher and
Robert Morden, while those of the 1700s included Johann Baptist Homann and
Herman Moll.
Older, rare, highly sought after maps can be very expensive, sometimes
reaching five figures, but others can be classified as the most
undervalued of antiques. In what other field can a collector find an
original art item from the 16th century for less than $100? Many maps are
available from around $20 to less than $100. These small, less expensive
maps date come mostly from atlases from the late 19th century. The
collector of maps from the 19th century can still amass a decent
collection without taking out a bank loan.
As a general rule, a collector should purchase the oldest map in the best
condition that he or she can afford. These are the ones that are likely to
be least obtainable in the future.
Map pricing is based on a number of factors, the most important being the
area shown. Generally, in any series of maps the World map and the map of
America/North America will be the most valuable, while maps of some
European countries, or parts of Africa and Asia can be much less highly
priced. Essentially, World maps are often the most decorative map in an
atlas, and the type of map that everyone would like to own, so the demand
is very high. Similarly, the United States is the strongest regional
market, so demand for material relating to the Americas is also very high.
Other factors that can influence
the price are rarity, age, historical importance, decorative
value–cartouches, vignettes and sea-monsters–coloring, and overall
condition of the map and the paper it’s printed on.
 Since
the early 1970's prices on the better antique maps have just about
tripled. The prices of cheaper maps haven’t increased as rapidly as the
more expensive ones since cheaper maps are more common.
Maps were generally sold in one of two forms: bound in an atlas or book,
or as a separate sheet. The majority of antique maps that a collector is
likely to encounter would have come from books, having survived because of
the binding. Not only did the cover provide protection from damage, but
the aesthetic attraction that meant that previous owners retained them as
library pieces, rather than discarding them when they became out of date.
Early maps were issued in sheets, and, in the case of maps on multiple
sheets (wall-maps), they could be colored, varnished, pasted onto canvas,
attached to wooden rollers, and suspended on the wall for use or display.
The principal risks here were from sunlight and the ageing of the varnish.
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