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Step 1
Check the map's size. An antique map's size is the most obvious indicator of its authenticity. For comparison, do some preliminary research on the antique map you are interested in acquiring and get an idea of its actual size so that you can spot a reproduction without much effort.
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Step 2
Look for distinctive markings that are hallmarks of the antique map-making process. Original maps often bear the unmistakable craftsmanship of past centuries. Folds and plate marks left after copper pressings can often indicate to a buyer if the antique map is an original.
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Step 3
Inspect the coloring of the antique map. Because original antique maps were made without the benefit of tools of mass production, the coloring of the antique map should resemble a small painting. Use a magnifying glass to identify the brush strokes and wavering lines of a human hand.
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Step 4
Note any dates on the map that do not correspond with the era from which the antique map is supposed to have come. Legitimate reproductions often carry identifying markings that indicate where, when and by whom the reproduction was made. If the antique map bears a year that is too detached from the date from which it was made, the reproduction's maker may have been indicating its printing date.
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Step 5
Use bright light to closely inspect the paper on which the antique map was printed. Look for indications of older paper's high rag content like chain marks, watermarks, wire and grid marks, and other markings that point to the type of paper that was commonly used in antique map making. Employ some common sense when looking at an antique's map's paper. If the paper is pristine and without indication of age and wear, consider the possibility that the map is a reproduction.
