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Edwardian Society Miniature Rifles (believed for small bore rifles .22?) Clubs Leather Covered Brass 3-Draw Telescope with society medal 1916. This is a very fine three draw Edwardian (or quite possibly Victorian) brass shooting telescope. The 3 slide components all move back and forth smoothly and fit tightly with absolutely no wobble at all. Not sure who it was made by but very similar to many of that era in style, notably those by Negretti and Zambra. Some 2 and half feet in length fully extended and 11 inches folded 2 1/2 inch forward lens with extending flare cover and rear diameter of 1 1/2″ including brass surround with a sliding cover for the lens…. I’m not sure of what the X magnification is but it really does offer very clear and sharply defined views of the craters on the moon in good detail when I have used it. I bought it at auction around 1980. I purchased it to stargaze, but to tell the truth it is simply just too heavy and far to hard to hold still without some kind of bracket to hold it and not what it was, I suppose, made for so – has just been languishing in a cupboard these many years. When purchased I had not realised that it contained a surprise in the very tight rear end leather lens cover which was almost too tight to remove – a bronze medal (wrapped in tissue and showing almost no signs of wear, still with a little “mint lustre” so in E.F. condition) so I guess the now defunct auction house didn’t bother to look.The telescope also has a leather front lens cover. The medallion is entitled:- Bell Medal (obverse) and Presented by the society of miniature rifle clubs (reverse) the medallion is engraved around the edge with the following:- S.M.O.R.C. D.G.W. 1916 which ties in with the telescope which is engraved:- S.M.R.C. (and under that) 23 Water Lane (and under that) E.C.4. which is as far as I can ascertain is the “society of miniature rifle club” based at that address. This telescope is clean with good optics – no bloom or scratches to lenses (fungus), certainly collectable and in excellent and still very usable condition. I’ve never cleaned or polished or interfered with it in any way so is in it’s original condition as when I first purchased it all those many moons ago. The leather covering and stitching is in consummate condition with the age of at least 102 years and missing one leather carrying lug (photos) .
A kind soul from the National small bore rifle association museum has provided some extra information (via eBay message) regarding this item:- The address on telescope was SMRC’s home from 1929 to 1941 when it was destroyed in the Blitz. The Bell medal was likely presented to D.G. Wilson, Sheffield Municipal Officers Rifle Club as recorded in the March 1917 edition of “The Rifleman”.
This is some 1.05 kilo in all unwrapped and I will send it within UK entirely FREE POST using Hermes and overseas via eBay’s excellent Global Postal Scheme.
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Category: Collectables:Militaria:World War I (1914-1918):Medals/ Ribbons
Location: Bournemouth