4.59  WHALING POST CARDS.  Lot of over 100 period postcards relating to whaling.  This collection, amassed over a 30 year period from 1960-1990, is one of the most comprehensive of its type in existence.  Many of the cards are extremely rare, dating from the time when whaling was still very active in America.  A majority of the cards retain their original penciled prices ranging from $1.00 to $14.50, with many marked $10.  Some of the cards are franked and bear their original hand-penned messages with postmarks dating 1905 into the 1920’s.  The majority of the cards are  uncirculated and in excellent condition.  Only one of the earliest cards has a water stain on the address side with 2 small corner loses, but this is an exception.  Overall the entire collection is “excellent.”  A very rare complete collection of virtually every American postcard dedicated to whaling!  695 all

4.47  DECORATED SCRIMSHAW FID. Very rare, possibly unique 19th century whaler's ropeworking fid.  This authentic sailor's tool was hand-carved out of the dense panbone of a sperm whale's jaw.  Remarkably, it was then decorated with 3 ships scrimshawed on both sides and the butt end engraved with a "rope" design border.  This genuine tool evidences actual use and has telltale signs of blood staining, often seen on such old implements.  It measures 9 1/4 inches long by 1 1/2 inches thick at the widest.  Excellent original condition with a nice old age patina. One small, very old chip in the butt end.  Really a fabulous and extremely scarce example of working scrimshaw.  1495

Of the four major reference books on scrimshaw:  Norman Flayderman's "Scrimshaw and Scrimshanders, Whales and Whalemen," Martha Lawrence's "Scrimshaw, The Whaler's Legacy," Michael McManus' "A treasury of American Scrimshaw" and Nina Hellman and Norman Brouwer's a "A Mariner's Fancy" NONE depict an example of a scrimshawed whalebone fid!  No example of a scrimshawed fid was contained in the prestigious collection of Barbara Johnson.

9.18 MARCHING COMPASS. Highest quality World War I pocket compass made for the U.S. Army. This all brass compass in original blackened finish is of French manufacture and is signed "GRUCHON & EMONS, PARIS No 22040" on one side and "U.S. ENGINEER CORPS" on the other. The hinged cover with sighting line opens to reveal the compass card on an agate pivot. The card measures a mere 1 3/4 inches in diameter, divided and numbered in 5 degree increments with the cardinal and intercardinal points of the compass identified with a prominent arrow indicating magnetic North. A second set of numbers is backwards! In combination with a sighting slot and a concave silvered disc in the cover, these provide the viewer with a real time image of the object sighted AND a reflected upright compass reading for same! Cleverly, the cover is also linked to a caging device that automatically locks the compass when the lid is closed. But there is more! The glazed cover of the compass is knurled on its rim and rotates to allow a relative bearing to be set. A small knob at the 10 o'clock position locks the cover at the desired position. Another pin at the 5 o'clock position dampens the movement of the card when depressed. This precision instrument is equipped with a heavy duty brass suspension ring and the entire unit fits neatly into its original sewn leather case with brass closure and belt loop. Outstanding original condition in all respects, showing good age. Completely functional with absolutely no flaws. A truly remarkable device! Circa 1918. 269

13.86  AMERICAN DECK WATCH.  Genuine World War II vintage, probably much earlier, ship’s navigational timepiece made by the “ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH CO.” as marked on the white enameled dial.  The face has bold Roman numerals with a subsidiary seconds bit at the “VI” marked in individual seconds by tens and swept by a blued steel second hand.  The dial has a minute chapter marked in fives swept by blued steel spade hands.  It is protected by a convex glass crystal set in a knurled brass bezel threaded onto the all brass counterweighted watch tub.  The movement is Elgin’s high grade 19 jewel “B. W. Raymond” model with stem wind lever set, lever escapement and Safety Barrel feature with highly damascened nickel brass plates, micrometric regulator, gold jewel settings, gold timing screws on the bi-metallic balance, adjusted for temperature and 5 positions.  It is signed “B.W. RAYMOND, ELGIN, ILL. U.S.A.   With a serial number of XXXXXXXX* it dates to late 1904.  The movement has just been serviced by a certified AWI (American Watchmaker’s Institute) technician, and is in tip top running condition.  The watch tub is slung in gimbals with a gimbal locking lever at the right rear.  The entire assembly is mounted in a highly finished mahogany box of classic 3-tier construction with folding top lid, glazed viewing window in the second tier, brass box stay and functional pin button locks in the top and bottom.  5 inches cubed.  Excellent original condition in all respects.  1295

According to Marvin Whitney in “Military Time Pieces, 1992, AWI press, Roth Brothers of New York undertook to mount such watches in deck watch form early in the Second World War before the massive Hamilton production.  However Elgin had been making its own boxed deck watches since 1910.

* For the privacy and security of the ultimate purchaser, the serial number of this deck watch is being withheld