Antique Appraisals and Online Valuations Ranging From Furniture to Car Appraisals


Appraisal ID:	98551

Appraised On:	09-01-2006

Title:	Sextant

Date/Era/Period:	1910 - 1920's

Description:	Sextant in orginal box with all accessories

Condition:	Good condition, some peeling of black paint, wood box has wear and tear, nothing broken, has 2 labels on the inside, one says "Christie & Wilson" nautical opticians, Glasgow, another says "NEGUS" there is engraving on the sextant, but I can only make out "& America Square"

Origin:	inherited from my grandfather. I believe he used it on his boat in the 1930's and 40's?

Provenance:	no special provenance

Appraised By:	Elizabeth Parodi

History Of The Item:	Invented in 1730 the sextant is an optical instrument used in navigation. It measures the angle of celestial bodies above the horizon from the observer's position. The sextants name came from the fact that the early instrument had a calibrated arc that is one-sixth of a circle - a graduated 60 degree arc. (Sex is a Latin prefix that means six) Knowing the angular elevation of a known star, and the exact time, one can calculate the latitude position of the observer. The sextant has come to be widely recognized as a universal nautical symbol. Indeed, the sextant, in conjunction with the compass, has been the basic navigational tool for more than two centuries. To have one with the original box, labels and tables is quite magnificent. John D. Negus was a highly respected nautical instrument maker and was arguably the leading makers in the United States during the second half of the 19th century. Trained in England, Negus began manufacturing in New York City in 1848. The company moved to 100 Wall Street, New York City in 1864 and formed the navigational instrument making firm, "T.S. & J.D. Negus," in 1869. According to research of period U.S. Navy records, T.S. & J.D. Negus sold chronometers and other instruments to the U.S. Navy including compasses. In 1937 the Negus brothers bought the Ritchie Compass Company and sixteen years later sold it to the Sherman Brothers in 1953. At that time Ritchie moved to Pembroke, Mass. The firm continued under the trade name "Negus" as a nautical instrument manufacturer and retailer into the 20th century.

Appraiser Tips:	Aesthetically, an object has character when it shows wear — and scientifically, you're taking evidence away when you remove the surface of anything. You can tell how an instrument was handled by wear marks, for instance. The patina on an instrument might take 200 years to get there, but only two hours to remove. If you want a shiny object, buy new. If you feel you really need to clean your sextant, I would take it to a recomended watch repairman or even possibly a camera repair shop to get it professionally cleaned. I wouldn't recommend doing it yourself.

Research Sources:	Antique Tools and Instruments - Alessandro Cesati Divided Circle: A History of Instruments for Astronomy, Navigation and Surveying - JA Bennett Kovels Antiques & Collectibles - Terry & Ralph Kovel

Appraiser Comments:	This is a nice little piece of nautical history. The sextant is probably from the 1920-1930's. If you are intersted in selling the piece, which you say you are, please know that if you do go through eBay, the price you will end up getting will only be half (if that) of the replacement value. I would give a replacement value of $1,000.00 on your sextant. Thank you for choosing "What's It Worth To You" for your appraisal needs. If you need more appraisals or have other questions, please don't hesitate in contacting be through here! Elizabeth Parodi, AOA # 975124 elizabeth@parodiusa.com

* Current Fair Market Value:	$800.00

** Replacement Cost:	$1,000.00

All values are in US currency

This online appraisal is an expert's opinion of the item(s) depicted above based solely on images and information supplied by our customer. Additional information, not shown on this certificate, may have been taken into account for this online Appraisal.

Please Note: Our service strives to include the best international authorities in their respective fields. While the appraiser may be an expert in rendering the valuation, please understand that they may not be completely fluent in English.

* Current Fair Market Value is the amount someone might receive when selling their item to a dealer or at auction. It is also the amount most government tax agencies (IRS, Revenue Canada, Inland Revenue, etc.) recognize as the tax deductible amount were the item donated to a charitable organization.

** Replacement Cost is the retail amount one might reasonably pay to purchase the item from a dealer, gallery, store, etc. It is also the amount for which one may want to insure an item.

For currency conversion go to http://www.xe.net/ucc/full.shtml

Whatsitworthtoyou.com
40 Sunset Blvd.
Perth, ON K7H 2Y4
CANADA
613-264-9032

Share |