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Lot 61

A GEORGE ADAMS BRASS AND STEEL PERPENDICULAR, ENGLISH, CIRCA 1760,

31 October 2017, 13:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £2,000 inc. premium

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A GEORGE ADAMS BRASS AND STEEL PERPENDICULAR, ENGLISH, CIRCA 1760,

signed Made by Geo Adams in Fleet Street London Instrumt Maker to the Prince of Wales, the shaped brass plate with two steel feet and steel plunger that slides in channel down the centre, mounted with a bubble level, in shaped fish skin covered case, 4 3/4in (12cm) high

Footnotes

George Adams was appointed maker to the Prince of Wales in 1756. The perpendicular was used by gunners to find the centre line of a cannon or mortar which was then used to aim the piece by sight. By placing the instrument on the barrel and when the bubble is central, the plunger is depressed to mark the barrel. This procedure is then repeated along the barrel to produce a line of sight.

Literature:
For a similar instrument, see Morton, A. Q. & Wess, J.A. Public & Private Science, p. 401

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