This rare little topographical atlas includes the counties of England bound in alphabetical order with the Welsh ones at the end. As might be expected there are no suit marks present although the numeration in Roman and Arabic may still be found as this was part of the engraved plate. In the case of the higher cards the Roman numerals are replaced with figure heads.

The whereabouts of the cards since the death of Robert Morden in 1703 is unknown. They are next heard of in the possession of Homan Turpin, a bookseller in London from 1750 to 1790. The wording at the end of the title page to this work refers to him selling all sorts of items to schools and it would appear that this was a likely market for this atlas. Six of Turpin’s catalogues are known and this work is not listed in any of them. Therefore it is concluded that the work was issued after the last of these in 1783, hence a circa date of 1785 is given by Hodson.

References: Chubb 109; ESTC T204060; Hodson (1997) III no. 273; Mann, Sylvia and David Kingsley. (1972). ‘Playing Cards Depicting maps of the British Isles, and of English and Welsh Counties’, in The Map Collectors’ Circle, no. 87 pp. 3-4, 16-18, App. I no. 4, App. II no. 3, App. III no. 2, pl. XI; Shirley Atlases in the British Library T.Mord 1c.