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Description: | Magnetic dial for latitude 51� North. This miniature dial is set on a magnetic compass card with a round brass base containing the dial. There are 32 marked compass points, unnamed apart from 'S', 'W' and 'E'. The hour ring, within the compass points, is numbered clockwise V-XII, I-VII; there is a sunface at the South point and a simple brass gnomon. It has a domed glass cover over all.
This is the smallest dial in the NMM collection. It is hard to see that it could have fulfilled any useful purpose for time-telling, and it was probably intended as a toy or a trinket (possibly a gift for a lady or a child).
For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.
caption: Magnetic dial | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Rights holder: | "Royal Museums Greenwich" | Subjects: | Directional dial Magnetic dial Horizontal dial Sundials at Greenwich magnetic dials | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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