Antique Sextant: Highly Coveted Nautical Artifacts

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Antique Sextant
Highly Coveted Nautical Artifacts

FIND ANTIQUE SEXTANTS FOR SALE

An antique sextant is a wonderful maritime collectible to behold. Its intricate beauty underscores the fact that, for all our modern technology, the simple ingenuity of tools invented centuries ago still works fine on the sea. Indeed, sextants still have advantages over modern devices that rely on electricity or other accoutrements to work properly.

Antique sextant technology was perfected after the invention of the octant in the 1730s. An octant has an arc of 1/8 of a circle, or 45°; a sextant’s arc is 1/6 of a circle (60°). These proved the most popular of the various instruments that would eventually be devised. (There were octants, quintants, and quadrants, each with a different arc.)

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These days, anyone looking for a unique decorative element for a nautical-themed space can use a great sextant. Collectors of maritime antiques and those with the sea in their heart (or in their lives) will love browsing the one-of-a-kind antique sextant sales listings online. The pieces are undeniably beautiful, each and every one.

How an Antique Sextant Works

The purpose of the antique sextant was to measure the apparent distance of an object, often a celestial object like the sun or other star, above the horizon. This was done by pointing the instrument in the general direction of the horizon and sliding a moveable piece down. The user had to line up the object in question in the bifurcated-view scope. Then the sextant was tilted back and forth to make sure it was in the center. Finally it was just a matter of reading the number where the moveable piece had been stopped along the arc.

Vintage and Rare Antique Compasses

By taking a measurement of the sun at noon, a vessel’s latitudinal position could be ascertained. By comparing two objects of known location, the boat’s position could be triangulated from the readings of the sextant. Basic and practical, the sextant is still used as a backup tool for navigation on boats worldwide. A nice illustrated guide to using a sextant can be found on Wikihow.

See also: Rare and Antique Nautical Telescopes and Spyglasses

An antique sextant will generally be of the half-horizon or “traditional” type. These divide the view in the telescope in half using two mirrors. The horizon shows on one side, the object being spotted on the other, similar to a split-screen TV broadcast. Whole-horizon sextants show the entire horizon but are usually thought of as less versatile.

Antique Sextants Today

A collector may buy an antique sextant for its value as a beautiful piece of rare vintage art rather than a tool for navigation. This is due to several factors, not the least of which is that a sextant is a very delicate instrument. Any slight bend in the arc can cause it to be unreliable. Modern mariners guard their sextants like possessive hawks, keeping them from harm and from children. Great care must be taken even when removing sextants from their cases.

Browse 154 current Antique sextants for sale offers here

Antique sextants’ appeal is due to the classic workmanship and the specific history of each piece. It’s hard to find a bad one for sale, and the relatively low price of antique sextants makes them a great investment, no matter what your purpose for acquiring one may be. 

Antique sextants for sale

Currently showing our top 154 listings from eBay vendors. Click for shipping details and money-back guarantee info. Antique sextants listings are chosen using MegaMinistore's original custom technology. We show you only the latest and best listings from safe, trusted vendors. Offers are updated and refreshed every day.

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Showing 41 - 50 of 154

RARE NEW Brass Sextant Nautical Brass Sextant Working Marine Vintage/Leather Box

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$62.49
$49.99 or best offer

Limited-time deal. Buy It Now Price

RARE NEW Brass Sextant Nautical Brass Sextant Working Marine Vintage/Leather Box

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$62.49
$49.99 or best offer

Limited-time deal. Buy It Now Price

Antique Brass Sextant - Navigational Tool for Astronomy and Marine Instruments.

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$93.74
$74.99 or best offer

Limited-time deal. Buy It Now Price

Brass Sextant Collectible Gift Item Antique Working Designer For Best Offer NEW

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$37.49
$29.99 or best offer

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Tamaya Nautical 1712 Fully Working 9" Navigation Marine Reproduction sextant Box

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$287.49
$229.99 or best offer

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Antique Brass Pocket Sextant Navigation Nautical Marine Vintage Wooden Box

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$162.49
$129.99 or best offer

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NAUTICAL MARINE SEXTANT & WOODEN BOX BRASS COLLECTIBLE GERMAN ASTROLABE GIFTS

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$62.49
$49.99 or best offer

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SOLID BRASS ASTROLABE NAUTICAL SEXTANT KELVIN HUGHES ANTIQUE MARINE SEXTANT

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$48.74
$38.99 or best offer

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NAUTICAL BRASS SEXTANT GERMAN MARINE SEXTANT 4" WITH WOODEN BOX ANTIQUE DESIGNEE

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$93.74
$74.99 or best offer

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Antique Brass Finish 11" Sextant Vintage Ship Navigation Instruments Gift Item

Seller: rnaazenterprises ★★★★★★★★★★ 100% (6 ratings)
Location: United States

20% OFF
$212.49
$169.99 or best offer

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