Maine state c.1820-24 rare Melish miniature state map original hand color

Miniature state map.

Publ. 1820-24, NY by Goodrich. Map by John Melish. Longitude given from Washington, D.C.

Exceedingly rare early 19th century miniature state map with beautiful original hand color.

Issued for a very rare geographical card game which is known only by a single example in the Library of Congress (those maps without the multi-coloring as found here).

Arguably one of the rarest state maps a collector can possess, a map virtually unknown to most collectors and likely dealers.

please inspect pics carefully. Various signs of age, overall still very appealing visually.

Sheet size c. 2 3/8” x 3 1/2”. Narrow margins almost certainly as issued.

see-Thompson, Printed Maps of Maine 1793-1860, #46. (noting the rarity and showing the only known example which is only green color and with similar narrow margins).

The type of map one could wait years to encounter again, possibly decades. In 40+ years of full time antiquarian dealing, I’ve never seen or owned it before.

B15664