Rare Type I Curta Mechanical Calculator & Case
Serial No. 49915, Manufactured March 1962, fully working, in excellent condition


These mechanical marvels were invented by Austrian Curt Herzstark during WWII, while imprisoned in Buchenwald concentration Camp, although he had taken out two patents covering the design principles of the calculator in 1938.  Kurt and his drawings survived the War and production of his Type 1 Calculator commenced in 1947, in Mauren, Liechtenstein, with Curt himself as supervising engineer.  The Curta is still the smallest mechanical calculator ever made!  Factory records from 1947 to 1970 have been saved, allowing the production date and configuration of any Curta machine to be derived from its serial number. This online video shows some of the amazing innovations incorporated by Curt during the development of his calculator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loI1Kwed8Pk


This Curta, serial number 49915 was delivered from the factory in March 1960 and has seen very little, if any use.  Further details are provided in the following table:


Characteristics of the Curta Serial Number 49915:

 

Type:

1

Date of manufacture:

March 1962

Age:

61 years old

Total Curtas Type 1 produced:

79527

Total Production Number:

From the start: 49015, Up to the end: 30512

Curtas Type 1 produced in 1962:

3710

Production Number of 1962:

From the start: 745, Up to the end: 2965

Precision of registers:

8, 11, 6 (Digits of Input, Result & Counter register)

Color of the body:

Black

Style of setting knobs:

Narrow rectangular with teeth

Style of operating handle:

Plastic, flat top with arrow, red stripe for subtract

Style of the Canister:

Metal, opens clockwise

 

 


Each Type 1 Curta is made from over 600 individual parts and can calculate to 11 significant figures.  As well as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, the Curta can calculate square roots, natural logarithms and exponential functions.  Full instructions for all these functions are included, as well as operating instructions for the calculator itself.  Curtas were used in a wide variety of engineering applications, however the most well known was probably in motor rallying, where its rugged construction and manual operation made it ideal for planning routes, calculating fuel consumption and other factors.


There are no less than seven different variants of the Type I Curta, involving the use of different materials, profiles and base printing layout.  There is a web-based list of all known Curtas, which can be updated by a new owner.  In addition, for those who wish to participate, there is a separate list of owners, with details of the serial number(s) owned.  Details of these lists, together with operating manual, additional instructions for calculating square roots, natural logarithms and other functions, maintenance and repair information, are included with the delivery. 


Curta  #49915 will come to you in full working order and in excellent condition.  There are comparatively few Curtas still surviving the advent of the electronic calculator, even fewer in such good condition as this one and a very small number which find their way on to the market.  Curta owners tend to hang on to them! 


I shall be happy to send your calculator, very carefully packed in double boxes, by trackable and fully insured mail to the UK, most other EU countries, USA/Canada and Australia/New Zealand.  FREE collection from W. Sussex.


HAPPY BIDDING!