Lot 65. Waldsmuller/Fries.Western Hemisphere, 1541

The auction’s 745 lots include rare antique and vintage maps, charts, atlases, decorative prints, illuminated manuscripts and historical documents from the late 15th century to mid-20th century.

RICHMOND, Va. – An online-only antique map auction featuring a wide variety of material, from one of the earliest collectible maps of the Americas (Lot 65), to the first printed chart of Hudson Bay (Lot 115), to Homann’s celestial atlas in full original color (Lot 46) will be in Old World Auctions’ Auction #210, online September 2nd and ending on September 16th at 5 pm Eastern.

The auction is loaded with 745 lots, including rare antique and vintage maps, charts, atlases, decorative prints, illuminated manuscripts and historical documents from the late 15th century to the mid-20th century. There is no live gallery bidding. The catalog is up for viewing and bidding now, at https://www.oldworldauctions.com/catalog/current. It’s on no other bidding platforms.

Eliane Dotson, who co-owns Old World Auctions with her husband, Jon, notes, “While this auction includes items that are on many collectors’ bucket lists, such as Abraham Ortelius’ maps of the world and western hemisphere, nearly 25% of the lots are items we have never before seen in our auction house’s nearly 50-year history.”

One such rarity is Lot 117, Hendrik de Leth’s chart of the 1745 Siege of Louisbourg, Canada, Plan des Fortifications de la Ville de Louisbourg, which depicts one of the key conflicts in King George’s War. Although a few examples of this chart are housed in institutions, this is the first known example to come up for sale in the last 35 years. Lot 117 is estimated at $1,500 - $2,000.

Another exclusive item is Lot 184, Silas Chapman’s Township Map of the North West from 1857, which is the first edition of this pocket map and focuses on the old Northwest Territory. Chapman’s map gives excellent detail of the burgeoning railroad network, noting those completed and those under construction. Lot 184 is estimated at $1,000 - $1,300.

In addition, more than sixty lots in the auction will be offered with no reserve. The bidding will start at just one dollar.

People can 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 ([email protected]) 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.