Curta Calculator Type 2 S/N 539404
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:9349 | Maker: Contina Ltd. |
This is the well-known Curta Calculator, designed by Curt Herzstark in WWII while he was a prisoner of war, and made by his company, Contina Ltd., in Mauren, Liechtenstein. This is a later Type 2 in the plastic ‘can’. The calculator functions perfectly, and quite smoothly, but there are two flaws worth mentioning. First, the end of the clearing lever has broken off. Not the loop, the hook at the other end. It still locks open and you have to press the ...button to release it, but the end of the hook is gone. The other flaw is that the operating handle is bent downwards, a sure sign that the calculator was dropped and landed on that handle. One of the pictures shows this clearly. It is a minor miracle that the plastic crank handle didn’t break off altogether. And by the way, while the operating crank is plastic, the clearing lever is metal.
As I mentioned earlier, the calculator works perfectly and is a joy to use, being very smooth and making exactly the right sounds. All the sliders move smoothly over their full range, the carriage moves easily, clearing works easily. It feels like it was recently cleaned and oiled.
This Curta Calculator is from the collection of Robert K. (“Bob”) Otnes, PhD, one of the founding members of the Oughtred Society and the original editor of the Journal of the Oughtred Society. It is being sold by the Oughtred Society on his behalf.
The Oughtred Society was founded in 1991 by a group of slide rule collectors and is dedicated to the preservation and history of slide rules and other calculating instruments. Membership is open to anyone. Further information about the Oughtred Society can be found at: http://www.oughtred.org/.
PayPal is the only accepted form of payment. Buyers within California will be charged 7.25% sales tax.
Shipping will be by USPS Priority Mail. Shipping charges will be somewhat higher for destinations outside the USA.
As I mentioned earlier, the calculator works perfectly and is a joy to use, being very smooth and making exactly the right sounds. All the sliders move smoothly over their full range, the carriage moves easily, clearing works easily. It feels like it was recently cleaned and oiled.
This Curta Calculator is from the collection of Robert K. (“Bob”) Otnes, PhD, one of the founding members of the Oughtred Society and the original editor of the Journal of the Oughtred Society. It is being sold by the Oughtred Society on his behalf.
The Oughtred Society was founded in 1991 by a group of slide rule collectors and is dedicated to the preservation and history of slide rules and other calculating instruments. Membership is open to anyone. Further information about the Oughtred Society can be found at: http://www.oughtred.org/.
PayPal is the only accepted form of payment. Buyers within California will be charged 7.25% sales tax.
Shipping will be by USPS Priority Mail. Shipping charges will be somewhat higher for destinations outside the USA.
