By Toby Walne for The Mail on Sunday
Updated:
Antique maps have proved a richly rewarding investment over the past decade, thanks to a growing appreciation of their unique historical appeal.
Here be monsters: Collector Philip Curtis and a map of Iceland richly decorated with sea creatures
Prices of the most collectible maps and atlases have more than doubled.
The world was mapped out almost 2,000 years ago by Claudius Ptolemy's Geographia, but the earliest surviving maps, based on his work, are those printed in 1477 in Bologna, Italy.
These ancient maps under-estimated the size of the world by a third and were used by Christopher Columbus in 1492 when he landed in the Americas but thought he had arrived in Asia.
Philip Curtis of the Map House in Knightsbridge, west London, says: 'Ancient maps and atlases fetch thousands, but of the printed versions it is the first examples that include America that are the most valuable.
The discovery of the New World coincided with the arrival of the printing press.'
Martin Waldseemuller produced the first world map with the term America in 1507. The only surviving copy was sold for a record $10m (£7m) eight years ago - now it is worth far more - to the US Library of Congress.
Curtis says: 'To keep the power of geographical knowledge, maps were often kept secret or published as propaganda.
'In 1570 the first modern atlas, the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, was produced by Abraham Ortelius. It was so successful that many editions were produced. Even today pages can be picked up for £400 to £600.'
Curtis points out that a complete Ortelius atlas may cost as much as £200,000, yet it could have been picked up for £10,000 in the Sixties.
He says the most appealing market for investors is the golden age of 17th Century map-making when mythical artwork was included. 'There were magnificent decorations with sea monsters, galleons and angels blowing horns,' he says. 'The Dutch were particularly skilled and today provide the most sought after maps of the era.'
In the early 17th Century the Blaeu family became famous for their maps and an original of the Grand Atlas by Joan Blaeu would be worth at least £200,000. Dutch contemporaries include Jan Jansson, whose maps can fetch more than £30,000. The first British map of the world was produced in 1627 by John Speed and is worth £70,000 to £100,000. Curtis says: 'Although world maps are among the most valuable, early British maps are highly collectible and can be bought for less money.'
Speed's maps of English counties can fetch between £500 and £1,500. But more valuable are those of Christopher Saxton, who in the 1570s was the first to produce county maps, with examples typically selling for £4,000 to £7,000. From 1675 John Ogilby produced the first road maps, which can still be bought for £200. Robert Morden is another cartographer whose work sells for £200 or more.
Peter Barber, head of map collections at the British Library and author of the authoritative Map Book, says: 'The greatest value you get from maps is enjoyment - they let you see the world as others did hundreds of years ago.
Here be monsters: A map of Iceland richly decorated with sea creatures
They are living history. They can all be valued as colourful and beautiful pieces of art - even modern Ordnance Survey maps can look fantastic. If there are inaccuracies this adds to their quirky appeal and boosts their value. They are more than just geography.'
Maps made before 1800 have survived better than some later ones printed on pulp rather than rag paper. Almost all of the antique maps were originally in atlases but were taken out by collectors. Today, maps are worth more if included in an original atlas. Buyers must be wary of early reproductions marketed as rare originals. Be particularly careful when buying maps in a frame as it is hard to check their condition and colour quality. Both these factors are key when investing in maps.
Passion for cartography left Empire in the pink
The British Empire coloured a quarter of the world's landmass with swathes of pink and red on maps by the early 20th Century. A colonial interest in mapping had been key to the spirit of adventure that led Britain to claim huge areas of uncharted land for Queen and country. Empire maps, such as the 1872 works of Archibald Fullarton, can sell for £600 to £700, while a Walter Crane Imperial Federation Map, left, costs £1,500. Excellent guides include Antique Maps: A Collector's Guide by Carl Moreland and David Bannister.
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