NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
From: Peter Van Dine
Date: 2017 Dec 23, 15:27 -0800
I have become interested in celestial navigation and my neighbor has given me a C Plath sextant Serial #37293. His father was a Navigation officer in the USN during WWii and we assume the sextant is from that era and may predate the war. There is also a very old pre-zipcode label from Negus Nautical Instruments on Pearl street in New York City in the box. There were no other papers in the box and the site glass is missing. Attached are photos of the arc with serial number and imprint company name.
I am trying to date the sextant.
The third photograph is of the handle from the back and it appears part of it is missing? I say this for two reasons: Firstly handles in photographs found online of what appear to be similar sextants don't show exposed nuts. Secondly, it does not sit securely in the box with the wooden lever engaged.
From the serial number does any one have an idea of the age of the instrument and any suggestions on where to find a source for the missing handle part?
