Offered here is a VERY RARE 191-year-old Troughton & Simms navigation sextant that was made in 1833 for the British Admiralty. It is crafted from solid bronze and bears the British Broad Arrow mark that denotes its ownership and use by the British Royal Navy. This sextant is an original piece with original patina and a rare find for collectors of maritime navigational instruments.
This sextant was designed to measure the angle between a celestial object and the horizon, allowing sailors to determine their position at sea. This sextant was also used for charting the oceans. It is a testament to the ingenuity and precision of early navigators and a beautiful piece of history. Don't miss your chance to own and display a piece of British naval history with this nearly 200-year-old antique Troughton & Simms sextant.
Below the vernier is a mark '1879' which is a serial number and NOT a year. The date of 1833 is derived using a well-documented regression formula (Year = 1790 + Serial / 43.68). Given the Broad Arrow mark and its year of manufacture, it was the property of the British Admiralty Board of Ordinance and likely used for both navigation and in the hydrographic (charting) surveys of the early 1830's and into the 1840's.
The sextant is 6 1/2" bronze pillar framed marked 'Troughton & Simms London.' below an inlaid silver scale which is -5 to 155 degrees. The vernier is silver with a 0 to 10 scale with a swivel magnifier. The index arm has a seldom seen spirit level to ensure index is level when horizon is not visible.
The box also contains a total of 4 telescopes, 1 tube, 3 sun eye pieces (2 red, 1 green) and a key for the box lock. Note that the key can partially lock the box but DOES NOT unlock the box and should not be used.
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