POCKET OPEN-AIR MONOCULAR IN SILVER
Stock Number: 9079
$1450.
For sale, a 19th century French open-air telescope. The instrument is silver, hallmarked and dateable and is a Galilean telescope optical design.
Dimensions
1-5/8x1-1/4x1/2 inches (4x3x1.3 cm)
Circa
c. 1825
Country of manufacture
France
Description
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POCKET OPEN-AIR MONOCULAR IN SILVER, French, c. 1825, with several poinçon hallmarks. Mounted with pendant ring, the device folds to a very compact 1-5/8″ x 1-1/4″ x 1/2″ (4 x 3 x 1.3 cm), and opens with hinged lenses on sliding support arm. It is a traditional “Galilean” optical design giving upright images of low magnification. In fine condition, it is an unusual form of miniature telescope. The French poinçon mark of the “tête de lièvre” (the head of a hare), which is applied twice here, firmly dates it to 1819 – 1838. |
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Dealer information
TESSERACT
David and Yola Coffeen both have enjoyed academic careers, as planetary astronomer and as linguist/educator. But since 1982 (yes, 1982!) they have been full-time dealers in early scientific and medical instruments, under the name Tesseract. Selling primarily by catalogue (over 100 issued so far) they also have a web presence at www.etesseract.com, and can be contacted at [email protected].
