First published in George Bickham’s fully engraved ‘British Monarchy’ c.1743. A little known later edition by George Bickham Junior was published by Laurie and Whittle in 1796 under the title ‘A Curious Antique Collection of Birds-eye Views of the Several Counties’. Of extreme rarity in either edition, the first is known in only 7 examples. The maps are highly collected for their distinctiveness. This is an example of the map of the county of Cornwall from a virtually unrecorded second intermediate state without the county name present. Burden and Carroll record this state stating that the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Surrey appeared on the market in September 1991. It is highly likely that this is that example and is therefore THE ONLY KNOWN COPY OF THIS STATE. Burden, E. Berkshire 31a st.2; Carroll Lincs 30.ii note 9; Hodson 218; Lyon ‘A Bird’s-eye View of the Bickhams’ in ‘The Map Collector’ no. 2 pp. 30-3; Quixley (1966) no. 34.