A BRASS NINETEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH ANTIQUE MICROSCOPE (circa last quarter of 19th century)
WITH RACK AND PINION COARSE FOCUSING, AND NOSEPIECE FINE ADJUSTMENT,
IN THE ORIGINAL CASE, WITH FIVE (5) 19TH CENTURY ANTIQUE SLIDES, SINGLE EYEPIECE AND SINGLE LOW-POWER OBJECTIVE.
Unsigned. This is a good solid working antique microscope. It has a “English” or “Crouch” type foot, diagonal rack and pinion coarse focusing (invented about 1881 by James Swift), plano mirror, and a detachable substage wheel of apertures. There is no draw-tube and the eyepiece seems fixed in place, though it can be unscrewed. All parts seem to work as they should. There is a fixed circular stage with clips. The stage does not rotate. The objective unscrews and could be exchanged for others although no other objectives are included. The case seems original since the foot fits into it perfectly along the felt-lined fitting at the bottom.
DATING: The dating of this instrument is only an estimate on my part. The nosepiece fine focusing is an early feature, but the diagonal type of rack & pinion was not invented until about 1881. I cannot completely exclude the fact that this was made in the very early 20th century.
CONDITION: Please also see the pictures which are part of this condition report. Overall in good condition although the lacquer is worn in many places, and there is some fine spotting of the lacquer in some places. PLEASE STUDY ALL THE PICTURES CAREFULLY BEFORE BIDDING! The spotting is not very offensive (in my opinion, but you should judge for yourself by studying the pictures carefully!). The brass has two different color finishes, the limb being a darker more orange lacquer, a feature common in English microscopes even much older ones. I have NOT relacquered this instrument and am selling it as I received it. OPTICALLY, it works as it should, with a good clear image.
Please Note that there are many “restored” instruments sold and that this can reduce the value of the instrument as a collectable, especially when the restorer changes the color of the lacquer or even completely changes the color of the foot, something that seems to be more common as good instruments become less and less common. Especially harmful is the practice of “polishing” with a power wheel which virtually ruins the sharp machined lines of the knobs, gears, etc. The lines seem preserved to me on this piece so I do not think that was done in this case, but judge for yourself.
SHIPPING DESTINATIONS AND CARRIER: Only to USA, unless your are will to pay the $130 shipping charge to Germany, France, Great Britain, or Australia ONLY. I reserve the right to change the carrier without notice, as website does not offer enough flexibility in this regard.
SHIPPING TIME and DELAY: website is NOT my main occupation, I work 80 hours per week, and so there may be a delay in shipping. I try to ship within a few days, but it can take longer on occasion as the post office is only open a few hours on the weekends and I usually cannot ship during the week. Please be patient and realize that THIS IS A CONDITION OF MY SALES. IF I NEED TO TAKE MORE THAN ONE TRIP TO THE POST OFFICE BECAUSE OF A SPECIAL REQUEST, THIS WILL LIKELY DELAY YOUR SHIPMENT AT LEAST A WEEK .
SHIPPING COSTS: costs have gone up alot and I charge what it costs me to pack, pay the website fees, and Postage. I do not profit from this at all, and often actually lose money on the shipping costs. website requires a signature service on any item that sells for more than a few dollars, and this also drives up the cost tremendously, especially to destinations outside of the USA. Please keep the shipping costs in mind when bidding. outside the USA will sometimes exceed the cost of the item itself. THE SHIPPING CHARGE INSIDE THE USA IS ABOUT 1/4 THE COST OF SHIPPING A SIMILAR ITEM FROM ENGLAND SO YOU WILL FIND IN THE END THIS IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN A SIMILAR INSTRUMENT BOUGHT FROM ENGLAND!
RESERVE: This item has a very small reserve, far below its value as a collectible.
PACKING: I pack extremely well and am an experienced shipper of antique microscopes and other fragile items.
BUY IT NOW (BIN): If this item has a BIN price, it will sell to you if you pick that option BUT be aware that BIN prices are removed by website after the bidding progresses and that option will disappear if you wait too long.
QUESTIONS: Do not hesitate to ask a question about this item. I will try to answer you as soon as feasible. PLEASE CHECK BACK BEFORE YOUR FINAL BID FOR ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR CHANGES I MIGHT ADD. THANKS FOR LOOKING AND GOOD LUCK!
50.00
600.00