This lot includes two maps of Poland that appeared in the English edition of Mercator's Atlas Minor, which was published under the title Historia Mundi or Mercators Atlas by Michael Spark and Samuel Cartwright. After acquiring the plates to the 1607 edition of the Mercator/Hondius Atlas Minor, Sparke republished the maps with text translated into English by Wye Saltonstall. Sparke also had 41 additional maps engraved for the Historia Mundi. Most of these maps were copied from Cloppenburg's edition of Atlas Minor and are therefore a bit larger, and some were signed by the engravers Jacob van Langren and Ralph Hall. These additional maps only appeared in the 1635, 1637 and 1639 editions of the Historia Mundi and are therefore quite scarce. This lot includes the original map of Poland (Polonia et Silesia) that appeared in the earlier editions of the Mercator/Hondius Atlas Minor as well as the newly engraved map (Polonia) commissioned by Sparke. English text on verso. Sizes vary slightly.

References: Van der Krogt (Vol. III) #1900:351 (Sparke) & 1900:351.

Condition: A

Crisp impression with light toning along the edges of the sheet and a few minor chips and tears also along the edges. The newly engraved map was trimmed to the neatline at top right by the bookbinder.