Anglia II Nova Tabvla

The rare, first edition, first state of the 1540 Sebastian Münster’s map , Anglia II Nova Tabula.

The first modern printed map devoted to England and Wales, and one of the earliest obtainable maps of the British Isles based upon contemporary rather than Ptolemaic geographical knowledge. Published in the landmark 1540 edition of Münster’s Geographia, it formed part of the first atlas to combine the traditional Ptolemaic maps with a substantial series of modern regional maps, establishing a new model for the printed atlas.

Oriented with north to the left, the map depicts England and Wales with a markedly improved coastal outline, numerous place names, principal rivers and mountain ranges, and heraldic banners for England and Scotland. A table in the upper left equates the ancient Roman place names with their contemporary English names, reflecting Münster’s aim of reconciling classical geography with Renaissance scholarship. The woodcut remained in use through the 1552 editions of the Geographia before being revised for inclusion in the Cosmographia.

Munster printed this map of the British Isles from the same woodblock for a number of later editions without changes to the actual map. Differences between states are minor changes to the setting of the title and the text on the verso:

This 1540 first edition, first state is identified by:
1. clover leaf only on left hand side of title
2. page number 30 isset  at right of centre
3. verso no “i “at end of the 4th line

From: Münster, Sebastian; Ptolemaeus, Claudius: Geographia universalis vetus et nova complectens Claudii Ptolemaei Alexandrini enarrationis libros VIII : Quorum primus nova translatione Pirckheimeri et accessione commentarioli illustrior quam hactenus fuerit, redditus est … Addita sunt Scholia quibus exoleta […]. Basileae : apud Henricum Petrum, Mense Martio An. M.D.XL. [1540]