PTOLEMAEUS, Claudius (c.100–c.178). Geographia Universalis. Edited by Sebastian Münster (1489–1552). Basel: Heinrich Petri, 1545.

Third edition of Münster's Ptolemy, in a contemporary binding. First published in 1540, the Geographia is a landmark work which contains several of the most significant modern maps in the history of cartography: the first set of the four continents ever published, the earliest maps of the Western Hemisphere and Africa, and the first separately printed maps of England and Scandinavia. Münster “based his edition on the Latin translation by William Pirkheimer, but he carefully collated it with previous editions, added numerous notes of his own, and produced new maps to supplement the Ptolemaic maps” (Karrow). The third edition here "includes all of the Ptolemaic maps, all the modern double-page maps from the 1544 Cosmographia, and five completely new maps" (Karrow). Karrow, 58/T; Burmeister 168.

Folio (317 × 200mm). Title-page with imprint “Basileae per Henrichum Petri, Anno M. D. XLVII.” (title-page inlaid preserving top six lines and imprint, colophon inlaid preserving upper two-thirds of leaf, small hole in Svevia et Bavaria XIII west of Amorbach, neat tear in Transsylvania XXI, dampstains, occasional toning and light stains). Contemporary ?English calf, concentric frames tooled in blind, central fleurons and cornerpieces tooled in gold, 8 spine compartments each ruled in blind with central floral motif tooled in gold (scratches, corners bumped, spine cracked with one sewing support exposed, stains). Provenance: deleted inscriptions and partial 1694 inscription on title-page – Antonio Bonchristiano (bookplate).