Original antique print by Pieter Schenk.
Rare as it is a prestigious second state (Variant B) from Peter Schenk's late-1702/1703 print runs.
The "100" printed on the centre bottom means it was printed for the complete, bound atlas edition of the Hecatompolis.
In the earliest loose-leaf test sheets, individual cities were numbered out of sequence (Naples was plate 63).
When Schenk finalized his complete collection of exactly 100 cities, he re-sorted them geographically. Naples, being situated at the southern reaches of the European tour, was designated as the grand finale. The number 100 confirms this print as the final, concluding print of the entire 100-city masterwork.
"Cum Privil" stands for Cum Privilegio (With Privilege).
This is a historical royal copyright protection.
Schenk did not have this legal protection cleared when the very first plates were cut. Once the States of Holland and West Friesland officially granted him the exclusive publishing privilege, he had his engravers physically hammer the copperplate from behind and re-engrave the text at the bottom to add "Cum Privilegio". This was done to warn rival Amsterdam publishers (like Carel Allard or Pierre van der Aa) not to illegally copy his view of Naples.
Summary of What You Own
You have a This is a highly desirable, legally authorized engraving published during Peter Schenk's lifetime in Amsterdam. Because it includes the Cum Privilegio mark, it represents the fully finished, legally protected state of the artwork that Schenk himself marketed to elite 18th-century collectors.
Peter Schenk the Elder was born in Germany but established a highly successful print and map publishing business in Amsterdam alongside his partner, Gerard Valk. He was widely celebrated for his meticulous precision and elegant geographical art, even serving as an engraver to the court of Augustus the Strong.
