Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain.

Mercator Gerhard, Hondius Jodicus. Gipuzkoa "Varduloru sive Guipuscoæ:Gionis typus." Amsterdam, " Exusum in aedibus Jodici Hondij veneunt etiam apud Corneliu Nicolai. item apud Joannem Janssoniu Arnhemi." 1607
Copper engraved map of the Basque region of Gipuzkoa from the first edition of Gerhard Mercator's "Atlas Minor". Latin text to verso.
The map shows the region with the coast and San Sebastian. Dark impression; old ink number to upper margin; damp stain to lower blank margin.

Jodicus Hondius published the first "Atlas Minor" in 1607 in response to the idea that there was a market for smaller, handier and cheaper Atlases to make the maps of Mercator available to a wider public; he probably engraved the maps himself.
The early editions were printed by Hondius and jointly sold by Corn. Claes and Joh. Janssonius, who probably supplied and owned the letterpress.
With Hondius death in 1612 the further editions were published still under his name by his widow and heirs until 1621 when the plates were sold to a London editor.
Koeman: Me186. 144 by 172mm (5¾ by 6¾ inches).   ref: 2355  €100