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Auction archive: Lot number 118

A Captain's Registration Compass

Auction 11.05.1995
11 May 1995
Estimate
£2,500 - £3,500
ca. US$3,970 - US$5,558
Price realised:
£5,625
ca. US$8,933
Auction archive: Lot number 118

A Captain's Registration Compass

Auction 11.05.1995
11 May 1995
Estimate
£2,500 - £3,500
ca. US$3,970 - US$5,558
Price realised:
£5,625
ca. US$8,933
Beschreibung:

A Captain's Registration Compass by D. Napier & Son No. 113 using replaceable paper compass cards which over a twenty four hour period are pierced at three minute intervals, by a fine needle mounted over the card, with a succession of pin holes which provide the captain of a ship with a permanent record of the course the ship has steered. The compass card assembly an 8inch (20cm.) mica disc with brass conical jewelled centre, on the underside three flat bar magnets each marked 'N' at the north seeking end and numbered 113, above the mica disc a circular black velvet cloth on which sits the replaceable card, the outside edge a thin walled brass ring with a datum mark against which must be set the north cardinal point of the paper card which is held in position by four peripheral hinged brass clips. Beneath the underside of the compass bowl, and forming an integral part of it, a compartment containing an externally wound clock movement numbered 113 with lever escapement and blued steel helical balance spring. This clock movement, via two counterweights and a crank assembly connected to the vertical pivoted brass on which the compass card rests, continuously raises and lowers the whole compass card assembly a height of ¾inch (2.0cm.) every three minutes. The compass bowl with hinged glazed cover, a rotatable brass rod diagonally mounted on the underside of the glass positioned in the direction of the ship's fore-and-aft line, on this rod a brass carrier in which is set poised above the card the fine that pierces the card at three minute intervals, the carrier via the up-and-down motion of the compass card assembly is traversed above it from its outer circumference towards the direction of the centre, the card being marked with twenty four hour concentric 'hour circles', the centre of each card inscribed Napier & Son. Patentees. London , the japanned compass bowl with gilt lines and floral decoration, gimbal mounted in openwork brass binnacle stand with dolphin supports, with brass-handled carrying box numbered (in manuscript) 113, containing on the inside of the top lid a circular cardboard box holding a supply of replacement paper compass cards -- 10¼in. (26cm.) wide It is recorded that this type of compass appears in Napier's surviving sales records from 1849 to 1864. Only one or two of them were sold in a year. They were bought by, among other customers, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Line, and P & O. In 1849 Napier's made a gift of one to the Lord High Admiral of Russia and in 1851 the firm gave another to the King of the Netherlands.

Auction archive: Lot number 118
Auction:
Datum:
11 May 1995
Auction house:
Christie's
London, South Kensington
Beschreibung:

A Captain's Registration Compass by D. Napier & Son No. 113 using replaceable paper compass cards which over a twenty four hour period are pierced at three minute intervals, by a fine needle mounted over the card, with a succession of pin holes which provide the captain of a ship with a permanent record of the course the ship has steered. The compass card assembly an 8inch (20cm.) mica disc with brass conical jewelled centre, on the underside three flat bar magnets each marked 'N' at the north seeking end and numbered 113, above the mica disc a circular black velvet cloth on which sits the replaceable card, the outside edge a thin walled brass ring with a datum mark against which must be set the north cardinal point of the paper card which is held in position by four peripheral hinged brass clips. Beneath the underside of the compass bowl, and forming an integral part of it, a compartment containing an externally wound clock movement numbered 113 with lever escapement and blued steel helical balance spring. This clock movement, via two counterweights and a crank assembly connected to the vertical pivoted brass on which the compass card rests, continuously raises and lowers the whole compass card assembly a height of ¾inch (2.0cm.) every three minutes. The compass bowl with hinged glazed cover, a rotatable brass rod diagonally mounted on the underside of the glass positioned in the direction of the ship's fore-and-aft line, on this rod a brass carrier in which is set poised above the card the fine that pierces the card at three minute intervals, the carrier via the up-and-down motion of the compass card assembly is traversed above it from its outer circumference towards the direction of the centre, the card being marked with twenty four hour concentric 'hour circles', the centre of each card inscribed Napier & Son. Patentees. London , the japanned compass bowl with gilt lines and floral decoration, gimbal mounted in openwork brass binnacle stand with dolphin supports, with brass-handled carrying box numbered (in manuscript) 113, containing on the inside of the top lid a circular cardboard box holding a supply of replacement paper compass cards -- 10¼in. (26cm.) wide It is recorded that this type of compass appears in Napier's surviving sales records from 1849 to 1864. Only one or two of them were sold in a year. They were bought by, among other customers, the Royal Mail Steam Packet Line, and P & O. In 1849 Napier's made a gift of one to the Lord High Admiral of Russia and in 1851 the firm gave another to the King of the Netherlands.

Auction archive: Lot number 118
Auction:
Datum:
11 May 1995
Auction house:
Christie's
London, South Kensington
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