Gerard Mercator, Septentrionalium Terrarum Descriptio, 1595 (lot 41)

An online-only auction featuring rare and highly collectible pieces are being offered by Old World Auctions in their November sale, with bidding ending on November 11 at 5:00 PM Eastern.

One of the highlights in the auction is the first state of the first printed map devoted to the Arctic, created by Gerard Mercator and published in 1595. This superb map shows a series of rivers and mountainous islands surrounding the North Pole, which is depicted as a large rock in a giant whirlpool. This first state was only issued between 1595-1602 and is quite rare on the market. Mercator’s map, Septentrionalium Terrarum Descriptio, is lot 41 and is estimated at $14,000 - $17,000.

Another scarcity is Thomas Kitchin’s map of North America published on the cusp of the French & Indian War. This map presents Britain's expansive territorial claims in North America, extending far west of the Mississippi River. Published in 1755, this map provides a striking illustration of the competing colonial claims that culminated in the French & Indian War. A New and Accurate Map of North America is lot 119 and is estimated at $2,000 - $2,500.

Published nearly 40 years later was D. Tomas Lopez’s map of the Americas, which was the earliest Spanish map to show the recent Spanish discoveries in the Pacific Northwest. Because the Spanish Crown treated geographic knowledge as a state secret, antique Spanish maps are exceedingly rare. Mapa de America was published in 1794 and shows the Spanish possessions in Florida, west of the Mississippi River, and in Central America. Lopez’s map is lot 80 and is estimated at $1,400 - $1,700.

Although Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson’s map of Virginia and Maryland is not particularly rare, the auction includes an example with important provenance, having been part of the collection of Coolie Verner, a renown cartographic scholar, and then acquired by American philanthropist Paul Mellon. The landmark Fry-Jefferson map of Virginia and Maryland was first published circa 1763 and significantly increased knowledge of the region at the time. The example in the auction is the sixth of eight known states and is lot 172, estimated at $12,000 - $15,000.

Other rare pieces include: Steinwehr’s Map Showing the Distribution of Slaves in the Southern States (lot 184), published in 1861 and estimated at $1,600 - $1,900; the ace of spades from a deck of playing cards published by Johann Seyfried circa 1678 (lot 61), depicting a world map with a massive southern continent, estimated at $1,000 - $1,300; John Ainslie’s Scottish map of the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign (lot 258), estimated at $600-750; and the Crepy family’s view showing the Great Siege of Gibraltar that began in 1779 (lot 558), estimated at $475 - $600.

In addition to these unique pieces, the auction features hundreds of popular and desirable maps, atlases, prints, and illuminated manuscripts, from Abraham Ortelius’ maps of the world, western hemisphere, and Iceland (surrounded by sea monsters!), to stunning pictorial maps of California, Colorado ski country, London, and even the fictional world of Narnia. There is something for everyone in this auction’s 763 lots, including over 50 lots offered without reserve, with bidding starting at $1.

Register to bid online at https://www.oldworldauctions.com/register. Previews will be held by appointment only during regular business hours, Monday thru Friday, from 8:30 am to 5 pm Eastern time. Call (804-290-8090) or email (info@oldworldauctions.com) for an appointment.

Old World Auctions offers full condition reports on everything in its auctions, and they offer a 100 percent money-back guarantee on the authenticity and condition of everything they sell.

Established in 1977, Old World Auctions is the leading specialist in antique maps. The company has researched and listed over 100,000 maps and atlases in its auctions and offers its research free to the public through its online archive. Old World Auctions has a 5-star rating on Google. To learn more, visit www.OldWorldAuctions.com.