One of the most famous maps of all was created in 1630 by Dutch cartographer, Henricus Hondius, and was published as part of the Mercator-Hondius Atlas. Henricus learned his trade from his father, Jodocus, who was also a prominent cartographic engraver. They uilt a business expanding and decorating the work of Gerardus Mercator, who created the famous Mercator Projection still in use today, although it has diminished in importance due to its inaccuracies in sizes.

Maps in the 17th century were richly adorned, and that includes this particular map, titled ‘Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Geographica Ac Hydrographica Tabula’. The two hemispheres are surrounded by fantastical representations of the elements of fire, air, water and earth. In the corners are portrait cameos of Mercator and Hondius, as well as Julius Caesar and Claudius Ptolomey, the latter pair a nod to the old Roman tradition of cartography. The map itself is notable for its inclusion of the west coast of Australia, and of its depiction of the state of California as an island. You can see the Asian region becoming increasingly filled out (based on exploration by the Dutch East India Company), although north of Siberia remains undetailed, for obvious reasons. It’s surprising just how broadly correct much of the map is when you consider it is almost 400 years old.

The coin (foil) is huge for an ounce of silver, hitting 254 mm (10″) across, and 170 mm (6.7″) tall, and this type of format is absolutely perfect for maps and the like. We’ve seen similar issues before, including fantasy ones of Tolkein’s Middle Earth, and they allow impressive levels of detail and readability simply not possible on a traditional coin. This one from MDM is just sublime, with the only incongruity being the issue disc at the bottom centre. There is some relief, surprising given the 0.7 mm thickness, but enough to give it character. The colour is a good match for the original ‘State 1’ 1630 map, and the foil comes in an acrylic frame, which is presented in a neat book-style gatefold binder. A fine example of what foils are better at than traditional coins. Available to pre-order now.