It is believed that Herman Moll emigrated from Holland in the late 1680’s and soon established himself as a geographer and engraver of note. Subsequently he made the move into publishing. The “Daily Journal” of 31 July 1724 announced that ‘this day is publish’d, in folio, A new Description of England and Wales’. It contained 50 maps complete with descriptive text. It is considered his finest English work being noted for its depictions of antiquities along the margins of each map. Also in 1724 Moll published the work offered here, although it is believed to have been issued later than the ‘New Description’. The earliest advert known is dated 27 March 1725, this being the pre-Gregorian calendar early March would still have been considered 1724. The earliest issues of both works contain the maps without plate numbers. It was when the second work was issued, without text, that the need for numbers to aid binding was created. The title describes how all the maps named in the index are present ‘except two, composed and done by Herman Moll’. However in this example the maps are, being Stukeley’s map of Britanniam and the map of Denbigh and Flint. Provenance: private English collection. Beresiner pp. 156-7; Hodson 174; Shirley BL T.Moll 6b.