2011-10-13 15:51:31 Mary Blevins mblevins 2011-10-18 14:47:00 Amy Downes acooper SWYOR-6FA956 COMPASS A copper alloy compass face dating from the Post Medieval or Modern period. It is a circular sheet of copper alloy, 2mm thick with the upper face inscribed with a cross of tapering arms marking the four compass points, and similar arms in the angles marking NW, SW, NE and SE. The four main compass points are decorated with foliage. The intermediate arms have half of the point shaded to give a three dimensional appearance. The degrees are marked in 10s starting at zero at North and South, and increasing in tens in both directions from these points. There are two rivet holes through the edge of the plate at each of the four main points, and three nearer the centre of the plate. A central hole is smaller and would have been where the needle fitted. The outer holes are countersunk on the reverse. They probably were for attaching a frame onto the front of the plate. The plate is now bend and badly scratched. An interesting feature is that the compass is reversed, so East is to the left of North, not the right. Apparently, this is not uncommon, allowing the user of the compass to read from it which direction they are facing. "Another way to illustrate [this] is to hold the compass so that you are facing due north. Start turning to your right. As you are turning right, you are facing more towards the east. Because the needle keeps pointing north, the E on the left side of the compass card moves closer to the needle. You can now read directly off the compass card that you are facing easterly." http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090506181235AAi9pqS The compass face is inscribed "W&S Jones Holborn" on either side of the North point, along the West and East points. W&S (William & Samuel) Jones was a London optical and scientific instrument maker situated at Holborn from about 1792-1860. Several of their instruments are held in the Scientific Instrument Collection of the The Museum of the History of Science, Oxford. References: 1.http://ar.utmb.edu/ar/Library/BlockerHistoryofMedicineCollection/MicroscopeCollection/OnlineMicroscopes/MakersandTheirInstruments/JonesWS/tabid/355/Default.aspx 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jones_%28optician%29 A copper alloy compass face dating from the Post Medieval or Modern period. It is a circular sheet of copper alloy, 2mm thick with the upper face inscribed with a cross of tapering arms marking the four compass points, and similar arms in the angles marking NW, SW, NE and SE. The four main compas... Copper alloy Cast MODERN POST MEDIEVAL MODERN 1792 1860 114.5 2 W&S Jones Holborn Good Incomplete 2011-10-13 15:51:31 SOUTH YORKSHIRE BARNSLEY BRIERLEY POINT( ) SE41SW SE4010 29.06.2003 Metal detector 1 SWYOR Creative Commons Non Commercial Share Alike - The Portable Antiquities Scheme 2011 These records can be reproduced in a non commercial enviroment as long as the original recorder is cited. The Portable Antiquities Scheme info@finds.org.uk No fees are applicable.