I am working on a maps project inventorying 7.5 minute series topographic maps.


One oddity that I have seen from these maps is that they may have the same edition year and publishing year, but the look of the map is different.


For example, one map will have the green coloring that describes vegetation and the other will not. It only has the brown contour lines and no coloring describing vegetation. It also appears that the one with no coloring has better quality and newer paper than the one that does. Yet, there is nothing in the text that tells you that it is a reprint.


Another oddity


I have the following maps:


--Cascade Pass, Wash.: both are 1963 edition published in 1975


They both have the green coloring for vegetation and the brown contour lines. Yet one of them the color is more vivid and the brown contour lines are darker and stronger than the other one which has a lighter green and light brown contour lines. Am I to assume these are different printings?


Also Found:


Found a topo map of Bothell, Wash. (photorevised 1981 and published in 1981)  where the green color on the map is misaligned.


In the world of stamps (I am a stamp collector) any such error would make the stamp more valuable and everyone would fight to get their hands on one. I don't know if that is the same in the world of maps.


What do you do with such errors in mapping?


Any help you can give me would be most appreciated.



Carlos A. Diaz

Government Publications, Maps, and Microforms

James E. Brooks Library

Central Washington University

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509.963.1545