Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. The name ‘sextant’ comes from the extent of its limb that is the sixth part of a circle. The main use of a sextant is to determine the angle between a celestial object and the base horizon, which defines the object’s altitude. The arc portion of this marine sextant is graduated into degrees from right to left, starting from 0 to 120. With a sextant, knowledge of the time and date with valid charts allows a navigator to determine his latitude or position on the surface of the earth or on the open seas. The sextant is a double reflection instrument used to measure the angle between any two visible objects.
This is a lovely WWI Era Dutch Navigational Sextant by maker G. DE KONINGH. of ARNHEM. and AMSTERDAM. serial NO 1432, complete with the original wooden case, which measures approximately 11 1/4"W x 9 3/4"D x 5 1/2"H. The sextant retains its major components including the frame, mirrors, micrometer assembly, and various scopes and sighting tubes stored in the case.
The sextant is almost entirely non-magnetic, and we believe it is made from painted or tin plated brass, which shows wear through along many of the sharp edges. The raw brass areas now have a lovely reddish patina, caused when the zinc in the brass leaches out of the alloy surface. The arc on the sextant looks to be 150 degrees, though it is hard to read due to the condition of the finish. As best we can tell, it should still work, but definitely needs cleaning and adjustment.
The inside of the case shows all of the original calibration information for the sextant, which would be factored in while using it. There are Dutch inspection markings as well, however we can also see some Greek cartouches, indicating that the Sextant and most likely the ship she was on was sold to a Greek concern in the 1930s.
This is a lovely example and comes more than ready for further research and display.
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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