Rare Stanley’s Sounding Sextant  c. 1950

 

This is a  sextant specifically designed for  coastal surveys. Not a nautical sextant. As it is  for use as an all day working instrument and not for a few diurnal observations it is made much more solid and its optics take a more extended field of view. It is  used horizontally  as a surveyor would, and is thus not furnished with filters.

 

1) The box is also extremely sturdy. Its sides are  1/2” thick. It retains all of its original attractive varnish, In new condition.

2) Lid bears certificate of examination .

3) Instrument and accessories in box

4) Shows the individual accessories. The telescope has an additional eyepiece for different magnification. It is not a second telescope. The large  peep sight  (bottom left of photo) is usually seen only with this type of sextant. The silver register scale ranges from 0—200 degrees.  A green filter is present. There is a fitting for a second.

 

The silvering on the smaller mirror surface is worn but still useable

Otherwise the instrument and its accessories  are in lovely condition.

 

Reference: Surveying and Levelling Instruments. William Ford Stanley, 3rd Edition 1901. p. 411 et seq.

 

Always the Unusual

Copyright Duncan Robert Antiques 2012.  E&O E.

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Nautical