RARE Vintage Curta Calculator Type 1 Model 55489 Black Metal Case W/Four Manuals
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:20467997 | Modified Item: No |
| Model Number: 55489 | Country/Region of Manufacture: Germany |
| Featured Refinements: Curta Calculator Type I |
RARE TYPE 1 CURTA CALCULATOR 1969 MINT MODEL 55489 FOUR MANUALS & BOOK
Up for auction is a wonderful and rare CURTA CALCULATOR in MINT IMMACULATE condition. It is a Type 1, Model 55489, which dates it to 1969 and is considered prime. The CURTA CALCULATOR was invented by Curt Herzstark; production began on April 1, 1947 and ceased in November 1970. They were sold until 1973 - made obsolete by the proliferation of the electronic calculator.
I clearly remember my dad... trying to teach me to use this when I was little. He may have used it a couple of times as a novelty for car rallies, but he stored it on a shelf for a good 40 years! The calculator itself is in spectacular MINT condition. The metal case has a little bit of paint wear on the bottom rim/edge simply from shelf storage and the little Made in Liechtenstein label is partially worn. The top has one very faint, tiny 1/8" paint wear rub on the edge.
There are four manuals and one book - two are the standard thin paper instruction sheets that came with the calculator. These pamphlets are 4 x 6 inches folded up and open up to approximately 11.5 by 20.5 inches. They both have some edge wear and slight tears in the folds - one has a light stain in one fold; one is better than the other.
The large book/manual is specific to car rallies and is called CUR-TA-BLE FOR THE CURTA EQUIPPED RALLYIST, William Coddington, 1961. It has a spiral binding with heavy pale green cardboard cover and back and 50 pages printed on heavy stock of speed minutes calculations. It is in MINT condition with slight yellowing from age.
There is a 51-page light green manual measuring 4 x 5 3/4 inches with 51 pages called: Computing Examples for the Curta Calculating Machine, copyright CONTINA AG, Vaduz, Liechtenstein. This is intact but has some soiling and a few dog-eared pages.
The last manual is a NEAR MINT condition 3 x 6-inch 64-page little book with gold and brown cover and illustrations. It is called Mathematical Handbook - An Aid to Every Day Figuring Problems, Tables, Formulas Arithmetical Rules, The Curta Company, Van Nuys, California.
This lot will make a fantastic addition to any VINTAGE CALCULATOR collection. Please view all the photos and let me know if you need more - any spots you see are dust, not wear - my camera picks up every minute detail.
Up for auction is a wonderful and rare CURTA CALCULATOR in MINT IMMACULATE condition. It is a Type 1, Model 55489, which dates it to 1969 and is considered prime. The CURTA CALCULATOR was invented by Curt Herzstark; production began on April 1, 1947 and ceased in November 1970. They were sold until 1973 - made obsolete by the proliferation of the electronic calculator.
I clearly remember my dad... trying to teach me to use this when I was little. He may have used it a couple of times as a novelty for car rallies, but he stored it on a shelf for a good 40 years! The calculator itself is in spectacular MINT condition. The metal case has a little bit of paint wear on the bottom rim/edge simply from shelf storage and the little Made in Liechtenstein label is partially worn. The top has one very faint, tiny 1/8" paint wear rub on the edge.
There are four manuals and one book - two are the standard thin paper instruction sheets that came with the calculator. These pamphlets are 4 x 6 inches folded up and open up to approximately 11.5 by 20.5 inches. They both have some edge wear and slight tears in the folds - one has a light stain in one fold; one is better than the other.
The large book/manual is specific to car rallies and is called CUR-TA-BLE FOR THE CURTA EQUIPPED RALLYIST, William Coddington, 1961. It has a spiral binding with heavy pale green cardboard cover and back and 50 pages printed on heavy stock of speed minutes calculations. It is in MINT condition with slight yellowing from age.
There is a 51-page light green manual measuring 4 x 5 3/4 inches with 51 pages called: Computing Examples for the Curta Calculating Machine, copyright CONTINA AG, Vaduz, Liechtenstein. This is intact but has some soiling and a few dog-eared pages.
The last manual is a NEAR MINT condition 3 x 6-inch 64-page little book with gold and brown cover and illustrations. It is called Mathematical Handbook - An Aid to Every Day Figuring Problems, Tables, Formulas Arithmetical Rules, The Curta Company, Van Nuys, California.
This lot will make a fantastic addition to any VINTAGE CALCULATOR collection. Please view all the photos and let me know if you need more - any spots you see are dust, not wear - my camera picks up every minute detail.
