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Civil War-Era Nautical Compass
1860s
Drawing the line at sea
This nautical compass likely saw service aboard a United States ship during the Civil War. The gimbal mount kept the compass card horizontal, even in stormy seas, while the azimuth circle was used to take sights on a distant object. By the time the war started, the New York firm of Robert Merrill had been producing about 400 such compasses annually.
Notes
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U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) |
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