Meeker's
Mechanical
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Larry and Carole
Meeker

Purveyors of Americana
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LCM@AntiqBuyer.com

530-620-7019

Antique & Vintage
W. L. & E Gurley Surveying Compasses

Past Sales Archive

This is just a sample of the many antiques we have sold. Click link to see other Sales Archive Pages on this Site.

We can help you sell quality Antiques  Contact Us.

For further info on consigning / selling your antiques with us please see our FAQ page, the Appraisal / Selling Page and the Selling Your Collection Pages.

Our current offering of Antiques for sale are at our sister Website Patented-Antiques.com.



W. & L. E. #232 Gurley Surveyor's CompassW. & L. E. #232 Gurley Surveyor's Compass This Vernier Compass is by Gurley the best known maker of  surveying instruments in America.  The bubbles are good, the compass needles swings freely and the sight veins and their screws are original and nice as well. The Mahogany box is very nice and shows just minor scuffing.  The paper label inside is very nice as can be seen.  It has a needle that measures just under 6" and the instruments overall length is just under 16".  The top glass is original.  The silver on the face is nice, and I believe this instrument dates from near the turn of the last Century.

Excellent . . . . .  $1075.00       SOLD





gurley compassW. & L. E. # 232 Gurley Surveyor's Compass  This flat Vernier Compass is by the best known and most renowned maker of  surveying instruments that ever produced surveying instruments in America.  This company was founded in the mid 1800's and became the best known and most widely respected of instrument makers in America.  The bubbles are good, the compass needles swings freely as it should and the sight veins and their screws are original and nice as well. The Mahogany box is very nice and shows just minor scuffing.  The paper label inside is very nice as can be seen.  It has a needle that measures just under 6" and the instruments overall length is just under 16".  The top glass had to be reputtied as it was loose, but looks great now.   As can be seen the cover for the compass is present as well.  The silver on the face is nice, and I believe this instrument dates from the late 1800's. 

Excellent . . . . .  $1095.00       SOLD




W. & L. E. Raiload Double Vernier CompassW. & L. E. Raiload Double Vernier Compass  This double Vernier Compass is in super nice original condition.  The bubbles are good, the compass needles swings freely as it should and the sight veins and their screws are original and nice as well. The Mahogany box is very nice and shows just minor scuffing.  The paper label inside is very nice as can be seen.  It has a needle that measures just under 6" and the instruments overall length is just under 16".  The silver on the face is nice, and I believe this instrument dates from the late 1800's. 

Excellent . . . . .  $1250.00       SOLD




W. & L. E. # 232 Gurley Surveyor's CompassW. & L. E. Gurley Surveyor's Compass  This Vernier Surveying Compass is a Gurley in a craftsman made box.  The bubbles are good, the compass needles swings freely as it should and the sight veins and their screws are original and nice as well. The Pine box is nice but not original.   It has a needle that measures just under 6" and the instruments overall length is just under 16".  It appears from the empty holes on the plate on the right side that the keeper or tally feature is missing, but there is no evidence of one ever being there.  Perhaps it was an option and the holes are on all compass plates from this era.  I do not know. The top glass appears to be original.  The silver on the face is nice, and I believe this instrument dates from the late 1800's.

Excellent . . . . .  $795.00       SOLD





Gurley #217 Surveyors Railroad CompassGurley #217 Surveyors Railroad Compass  This wonderful surveying instrument dates from the late 1800's and is in super original condition.  It is the smaller of the two sizes of Railroad Surveying Compasses  that Gurley produced, with this example having a 5" needle and being 16" long from end to end.  With two verniers, angles could be read to a degree of precision not available using a single Vernier as on the single Vernier Compasses or using just the needle as with Gurley #232 Plain Compass.  In other words, this was the top of the line instrument for precise surveys during its time.

Excellent . . . . .  $1650.00       SOLD





Gurley Railroad Compass with Auxiliary ScopeGurley Railroad Compass with Auxiliary Scope   This was Gurley's largest and most complicated compass offered.  The fellow who ordered this one went the full 9 yards with both bases and the auxiliary scope, all made to fit in the proper box.  The optional leveling base as can be seen that could be used with a small tripod and the ball and socket stall joint is out in front..  The condition of this instrument is exceptional with nearly 100% of the original lacquer finish still present.

Excellent . . . . .  $3250.00       SOLD





Gurley Railroad Pocket Compass with Auxiliary ScopeGurley Railroad Pocket Compass with Auxiliary Scope   These compact and versatile instruments were used for a variety of applications. Although not as accurate as a transit they were sufficiently precise for general work in the field.  They were offered in different sizes and configurations, and this one has a 4 1/2 in needle.  It also has the optional leveling base as can be seen that could be used with a small tripod.  The condition of this instrument is exceptional with nearly 100% of the original lacquer finish still present.

Excellent . . . . .  $2495.00       SOLD





Gurley / Queen Surveying CompassW. & L. E Gurley / James Queen Surveyor's Compass  This is a nice looking early surveyor's compass. It is just under 16" long, and has a 5" needle. The compass points north as it should, but the needle lock does not function.   The level vials are good,  and the keeper dial clicks and stops as it should.  The sight vanes are proper and 1 is edge marked with degree marks from 1-20 on both sides along the edge of it.    The other sight vane has 2 swinging peep hole sights on it.  They are numbered to fit the compass and do fit the compass properly , but the locking pins are not present. 

The box is well worn and has some chips at the edges and some missing wood at one end.  There needs to be a small repair to this area to keep the compass from sliding when in place.  There are remains of two labels inside that I can not make out any name on.  There is info there, and pics of other representative instruments, but no name to be seen.   The interior pieces to hold the sight vanes and the missing knuckle joint have been glued and re-glued in place.  At one point this was done with a silver colored material that now shows on the interior in places.   The box needs to be repaired and refinished to look as good as the compass.

The compass face is double marked James Queen Philadelphia Agent  around the ring, and W & L. E. Gurley, Troy New York.  at the top and bottom.   James Queen first went into business for himself in the 1850's.  In the early days the Queen Co was more a distributer than maker and had a contract with Gurley to market their products as Gurley's agent. This relationship is described and a short history of the Queen Co. can be found on the Smithsonian's sight under Queen when searching by maker.  I believe that the way this compass face is marked would date it from early in the companies history.   Instruments sold under this arrangement can be found marked different ways, and I am not sure of the chronological order of the different markings.

All in all a nice example of a hard to find early surveyors compass.  It will display very nicely out of the box and has a great patina and graphic look to it.

NW-G-Q-COMP

Good +. . . . . . $1350.00   SOLD!






Gurley #316 & #318  Plain CompassesGurley #316 & #318 Small Plain Compasses   Here are two different versions of small Gurley compasses in their original boxes.  The compass on the left is unmarked as to maker, but the construction details and box are basically the same as the one on the right that is marked Gurley.  The example on the left is missing its knuckle joint, but the compass is very nice as is the box. 

The marked Gurley plain compass on the right is in nice original condition.  It measures just about 4 1/2 " across.  It is clearly marked on the compass face W. L. & E Gurley Troy NY.  Also note in the pics the decorative engraving at the North Point.  The needle is 3 1/2 " long making this the larger off the two examples of these they offered and a # 318.  It comes in a nicely fitted Mahogany fitted box that is in nice condition.   This one does have the Knuckle joint fitting to adapt it to a staff for use in the field.  

Left . . . . .  Good+ . . . . . . $295.00              SOLD!

Right . . . .  Good+ . . . . . . $400.00             SOLD!




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This is just a sample of the many antiques we have sold. Click link to see other Sales Archive Pages on this Site.

We can help you sell quality Antiques  Contact Us.

For further info on consigning / selling your antiques with us please see our FAQ page, the Appraisal / Selling Page and the Selling Your Collection Pages.

Our current offering of Antiques for sale are at our sister Website Patented-Antiques.com.


This website is Copyrighted
(1998 - 2009)
Larry & Carole Meeker