Swaen BuyNow GALLERY CATALOG

Our BuyNow-catalog offers immediate sale items, and no commission is charged. The catalog includes old maps of the World - America - Asia - Europe - Africa - Medieval Manuscripts - Nuremberg Chronicle - Prints - Posters, atlases, globes, etc.

Tariffs - Maps, prints and artwork are EXEMPT from Reciprocal Tariffs under Chapter 99 Secondary Classification: 9903.01.31, [continue reading].

ANTIQUE MAPS AND AI
A great deal has changed since Pierre Joppen began selling antique maps, atlases, prints, and globes in 1978. The internet was one of the major developments in the 90s. In 2025, everyone is talking about AI and ChatGPT.
Here at Paulus Swaen, we have built our first bots: Ortelius, who will tell you what he knows about ancient mapmakers, and Mercator, who will help you find maps in our BuyNow Collection.
Or learn from our 2-minute videos.


about us
About Paulus Swaen

The firm was founded by Pierre Joppen in 1978 in the Netherlands and relocated to Florida in 1996, where we began selling online. (Continue reading)
You can BuyNow catalog and view what is currently available.

newsletter
Join our Newsletter
Virtual Collection

Now you can save any of your favorite items from our BuyNow Catalog or  Archive in one place. Build your own Virtual Collection.
It is free and you can delete an item from your list at any time.

Recent Updates
Latest Listings
You can always check our latest listings page. It is updated daily and you see what we’ve recently added. Let's take a look at some rare maps we've recently acquired. Which is your favorite?

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mapmakers
Mapmakers and explorers

Sometimes, maps become more famous than their makers. Many cartographers only become famous after they’ve created a masterpiece.
Still, others make a famous map, then disappear from history forever.

The Mapping of...
The Mapping of...

We have created some short articles about the mapping of Arabia, Australia, Canada, China, Hungary, Invasion of Minorca, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mer de l'Ouest, Northwest Passage, Poland, Russia, South East Asia, Taiwan and Ukraine.

Title pages
The Curated Collection

This is a collection of carefully selected old and rare maps, which are all graded with 8-10 stars in the HiBCoR grading system
This carefully selected list of old and rare maps, atlas and books have all in common that they are extraordinary items that make a difference to any collection.

catalog archive
Catalog Archive

Paulus Swaen maintains an archive of sold items, including HR images. Most map images are not restricted by copyright and can be used freely, as most are in the public domain. These historically achieved prices can help understand the pricing development of old maps and help with placing bids.


Articles about maps
Read our short articles

If you are interested in the backgrounds of antique maps, prints, mapmakers, etc. then you should read our short but informative articles >>>>
Or other subjects such as posters, old prints, Nuremberg Chronicle, optical prints, medieval manuscripts, trading companies, etc.



Recently Viewed

Pair of 2 prints: Winée, naturelle D'Owhyée; Tianna, Prince d'Atooi.

Two great portraits of native Hawaiians by John Meares. From Collection de Cartes Geographiques, Vues, Marines, Plans et Portraits, relatifs aux Voyages du Capitaine J. M...

Maker: MEARES, J.
Date: Paris, 1795
Selling price: ????
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Sold in 2022

 


Chosen Danpan (Discussing the clauses of the ultimatum between the Japanese, Chinese and Korean forces).

Japanese woodcut showing the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans discussing the clauses of the ultimatum between Japan, China and Korea, . Yôsai Nobukazu (1872-1944).A scene...

$1200 / ≈ €1030
Maker: NOBUKAZU, Y.
Date: August 8, MEIJI 27th year or 1894

 


Chikyu Bankoku sankai yochi zenzu setsu. / Sekisui Cho Harutaka. (Map and description of geography of all the countries of the globe).

Reduced version of the famous map "Kaisei chikyu bankoku zenzu" by Sekisui Nagakubo (1717-1801) published ca. 1785, still based on the one by Matteo Ricci. Incl...

$3500 / ≈ €3005
Maker: Yamazaki, Yoshinari
Date: Tokyo, 1850

 


Germania Antiqua in IV. Magnos populos, in minores populos, et in minimos, distincta..

A fine map of ancient Germany, Poland and the Netherlands.Nicolas Sanson was to bring about the rise of French cartography, although the fierce competition of the Dutch w...

Maker: SANSON,N./ VAUGONDY, R. de
Date: Paris 1720
Selling price: ????
Please login to see price!
Sold in 2022