Does anyone collect rare maps as a complement to your coins?

Longacre · September 14, 2005 3:07AM

The Chief Operating Officer of my company collects rare maps. He knows that I collect coins and we frequently talk about maps and coins in general. He just called me into his office and he wanted my opinion on a rare map that he is thinking of buying. The cost of the map is more than my annual salary (almost) and it was quite nice. That got me wondering. Does anyone collect maps as a complement to the coins that they collect? For example, for the collectors of southern gold, do you also collect old maps of the Georgia area or the south in general? For those that collect or have an interest in Indian Peace medals, do you ever think to collect maps that were made of the west before the Lewis & Clark expedition? This would seem like an interesting "add-on" to coin collecting. What do you think?

Cladiator · September 14, 2005 3:13AM

Nope. The only thing I collect besdies coins is debt.

Fletcher · September 14, 2005 3:21AM

I have several 17th century colonial US maps. I also collect 18th and 19th century New England local histories ... I have approximately 1000 volumes in my library. Coins are a relatively recent collecting hobby for me.

billboat · September 14, 2005 5:55AM

Rare maps, no -----But I do collect US history books, biographies and memoirs---many have maps and pictures (like a sketch of what what Philadelphia looked like in 1803 or a map of the District of Columbia in 1861).

coinmickey · September 14, 2005 6:01AM

I love rare maps but the expense and the preservation issues deter me....I would feel badly if I destroyed a 300 year old map b/c my preservations methods were lacking.

ebaytrader · September 14, 2005 6:05AM

Yes. Got two 19th century maps of Florida.

Russ · September 14, 2005 6:07AM

I was thinking about the Vinland Map, but it turned out to be fake.

Russ, NCNE

marmac · September 14, 2005 6:23AM

use to collect early fishing tackle, and early fishing books (talk about a small collector base)-Zane grey, Charles Holder,..... never maps.

WWW · September 14, 2005 6:31AM

I have a few of the western states. I have one of Nevada circa 1895 that does not have Las Vegas on it. I need to get that one imaged.
Here's one of Idaho (1.6 MB) from the same atlas and one from 1860 Nebraska, Dakota, Idaho, Montana.

RYK · September 14, 2005 6:32AM

I am always with impressed with rare maps and have threatened my wife with collecting them on multiple occasions. With such threats, it is no wonder she tolerates the rare coins as well as she does.

I would like to compliment your appropriate spelling of the word, "complement", which is often misspelled in this context. Had you botched it, Russ would have been all over you.

Longacre · September 14, 2005 6:40AM

<< <i>I would like to compliment your appropriate spelling of the word, "complement", which is often misspelled in this context. Had you botched it, Russ would have been all over you.

>>

I have to confess, I looked it up in dictionary.com to make sure I had it right (hey, at least I recognized the issue). I did not want to incur the wrath of Russ.

RYK · September 14, 2005 6:42AM

I did not want to incur the wrath of Russ.

Wrath? Doubt it. Scorn? Absolutely!

beckwb · September 14, 2005 2:47PM

Its probably not uncommon for coin collectors to also collect other things with historical meaning (ie historical documents, rare books, rare maps). I have two neat maps (one of the original Plan of the City of Denver from 1859 and the other is a woodcut map of the Southern Part of New-England from the yeare (correct spelling) 1639

michael · September 14, 2005 2:57PM

no

zkcoins · September 14, 2005 2:58PM

no maps here, only coins and other random toys!

ms70 · September 14, 2005 3:42PM

Nope, no maps but I do keep a ruler that has all the president's at my desk. On the back of the ruler is a pic of each U.S. President & what years they served. When I get a new
coin I like to see who was president when it was minted. I got the ruler at the National Archives gift shop in DC.

MoeSzyslak · September 14, 2005 3:44PM

I love maps, especially old and/or historical ones. I'd certainly collect them, but it's tough to get one in change and that's about all my grad student budget will allow for at this time.

Michigan · September 16, 2005 5:50AM

<< <i>I love maps, especially old and/or historical ones. I'd certainly collect them, but it's tough to get one in change and that's about all my grad student budget will allow for at this time. >>

When are the slabbers going to get into slabbing maps? Not sure how they would do it, depending on size a map could take up quite a large space and that would take a lot of plastic to cover it.
Slabbing it folded probably is not going to work.

shirohniichan · September 16, 2005 6:14AM

I don't collect "rare" maps, but I have framed some 19th century coins used in trade with China and its environs around a 19th century map of Asia. Some day I'll eventually get all the circulated California commem 50 cent pieces I need to frame along with my old map of California.

I like to buy old atlases or maps to see where the countries my old dark side coins came from used to be. The borders have been redrawn a number of times, and some of the countries no longer exist. It also helps me to visualize the extent of the British Empire over the years by looking at the old maps.

cladking · September 16, 2005 6:19AM

I used to collect maps but it was more the information I was interested in than
the map itself so photocopies were often used. My primary interest was maps
of trails and early roads in the midwest. (especially Indiana)

The old maps were difficult to find and I did get originals as they were available.

nickel · September 16, 2005 9:59AM

I have 4 maps of europe from mid 1800's thru WW II . Purchased more to follow history , but it does work for foreign coins . Many countries were "Invented" , dissected , carved up , reinstated etc . There are many name changes in Africa , Far east , Pacific rim , South America , but the borders havent moved much . Europe has been in constant flux for centuries .

ar18 · September 17, 2005 10:45AM

collect no, have yes. I have the original flight map of japan(in case he was shot down), made of silk, that Fred Olivi, the Co-Pilot from Bocks Car, the second atomic bomb, carrried with him on the mission. The map was on him when the bomb was dropped over Nagasaki Japan. He personally signed with a short story. He was a long time family friend of my grandfathers who was an engineer on the manhatan project. No clue what it is worth, I am sure plenty to the right historian/collector but it isn't for sale. Just thought I would share.

lordmarcovan · September 17, 2005 10:51AM

I don't collect rare maps, but I like 'em.

And in the detecting hobby, those neat old maps can sometimes lead you to coins...

Coinosaurus · September 17, 2005 11:39AM

I have a couple old maps which I got off ebay, for a book I am writing, but I do not collect them. They are cool to look at, and you don't have to pay much at all for something that looks "old".

As far as slabbing 'em, they come in way too many sizes to make it practical. There is also a storage problem, I would not want to put a map worth big bucks on my wall at home. What's the point if you can't look at it?

D · September 17, 2005 12:07PM

I bought an old map after seeing a portion of Antiques Roadshow where they showed California as a peninsula, and as an island. Consequently the island ones cost a lot more and I bought one showing it as a peninsula.

-Daniel

numisanity · September 17, 2005 12:16PM

I do not collect rare maps... however I saw an exhibit of some at the Library of Congress this summer and they are something I could definitely get interested in (if they weren't so expensive and I assume that they are)

EagleEye · September 17, 2005 3:07PM

I love old maps (recent maps too). I collect ones with huge errors, for instance I have a 18th centhury map of the North America with San Francisco bay extending as far east as present day Utah!

I have one which shows the Arizona Territory/New Mexico Territory divided horizontally (Arizona spelled Arrizona).

Another one I have is a 16th Century map showing the holy land. It has all these graphics of biblical events where they were supposed to have happened. The error on that one is that the nile river is shown flowing east to west rather than North - South. It's all in Latin and was done by a guy who had never visited the area.

cullenbryant · September 17, 2005 4:48PM

I have been looking for a behaim globe for a very long time.
for anybody who doesn't know what a behaim globe is, it is the map that columbus used
when sailing to the new world. It was based mainly on ptolemy's observations.
The behaim globe is smaller than today's common globe because ptolemy was slightly
off in his mathmatics. I believe by about a third. That is part of the reason why when
columbus landed on that first voyage down near cuba, he thought he had sailed all
the way to the indes.
If you've never seen the behaim globe check it out, if you know where i can find a cheap
reprint PLEASe pm me.

Purple73 · September 17, 2005 5:09PM

Doesn't really fit the subject but:

Some of the newspapers I come across have maps in them. Especially the Civil War era. I saw some Harpers Weekly with some maps in them on Ebay.

PURPLE!

Bochiman · September 17, 2005 7:09PM

If it were a rare "treasure" map, than I might

morgannut2 · September 17, 2005 8:24PM

As a Grad Student I made maps in Montana of proposed wilderness areas. Ended up with a number of very interesting surveys such as the 1860's Hayden Survey with maps of the areas. Now I'm still astonished how good they were with NO GPS but a lot of "hostiles" trailing them!!

Sylvestius · September 17, 2005 11:13PM

Never a straight forward answer from me;

In short no i do not.

However i'm fascinated by all things old, i have a number of 18th century books and one land indenture from 1745 (actually it was originally from 1688 but mine is a 1745 copy). I also have two coin books from 1841 (first editions) that i picked up cheaply. Not to mention old spoons, pocket watches etc.

I've always loved maps and so if i had the funds, the space and somewhere decent to store them (correct air humidity and such) then yes i probably would have a few put away somewhere.

I can totally understand why people like them.

Sylvestius · September 17, 2005 11:18PM

Oh and i forgot to add. Currently i'm temporarily working in an archive department and i'm handling 18th century books on an almost daily basis. There's even one from 1573 in there, i dunno if it's an original or an early reprint, it's in superb condition if it's original (which it quite easily could be). I can't remember if it's written in French or Latin. I think it's French which would be nothing unusual.

I'll have to write the title down when i next go into work on thursday.

Does anyone collect rare maps as a complement to your coins?

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