Expensive old scope.

[Tropo-Bob]

An ancient refractor for $22K; way beyond my price range.

It could be a typo, I have not checked. If not, is such a scope worth anything like the asking price?

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/brinsmead/other-antiques-art-collectables/late-19th-c-brass-refractor-telescope/1159615974

[blindman]

Probably scam if not typo, but still too much if you deduct one zero.
The best thing is original box!

[blink138]

......... late 19th century scope, but company founded in 1937?
pat

[Merlin66]

Definitely not a $22k telescope.
They were still selling these in the U.K. in the 60's......

[Atmos]

A telescope allegedly built in the past 70 years isn't quite ancient. If it is there are a few members in my photography club that I can now call ancient ;)

[julianh72]

To be fair, T. Cooke & Sons was founded in 1837, not 1937.

However, I think I'd want to see some documentation before parting with anything like the asking price for this "antique"!

[raymo]

It wasn't allegedly built in the last 70 yrs Colin; it is listed as at least 118 yrs old[ late 19th century], but the price is still a bit much, even for a scope
from such a famous manufacturer.
raymo

[Wavytone]

It's a fake.

There were some genuine "Ye olde brass tellyscopie" that did actually work for those who wanted a loungeroom ornament that were made as recently as the 1980s and 1990's - even Bintel had one once I recall.

There have also been a few fairly good replicas made in the U.K. over the years, too.

But there is much worse. From the 1980s onwards there has been a thriving industry in India making knockoffs of antique instruments - telescoepes, theodolites and levels, sextants and so-on. These inferior copies turn up in antique shops quite regularly and dealers frequently try to pass them off as the real thing.

They also turn up on Alibaba in job lots of 10 off at crazy prices.

They are frequently branded with the names of the classic makers (eg Cooke etc) and look passable to those who don't know any better - my guess is they are based on photos of the real thing at Greenwich and so-on.

But if you look closely you find several things may be amiss:

- no original box (usually mahogany) with set of eyepieces, Herschel wedge and other bits & bobs,

- the manufacturers nameplate or engraving does not match the known style of the real thing, often with a spelling mistake or incorrect address,

- the year of manufacture is wrong (doesn't correlate with the history of the company),

- telltale signs of creating a fake patina that give away that the brass isn't old - and often it's not even solid brass but some sort of cheap plate on tin if you look closely at an edge with a magnifier;

- the wooden tripod and box will be in a condition that only real age can produce,

- the objective is often a singlet lens, or wrong focal length for the tube it's in, and while the eyepiece has some glass in it, it doesn't function as one,

- no provenance tracing it back to the original maker.

For the money they are asking this would have to be fully documented with every sale from its manufacturer and verified.

[doppler]

Something similar, a tad cheaper

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/26950676_t-cooke-and-sons-york-and-london-brass-telescope

[pmrid]

That's 1837, according to Wikipedia's entry at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Cooke_%26_Sons
Peter

[julianh72]

At least that one LOOKS old (not that that is "proof of provenance", which I would certainly want if I was going to spend thousands on an antique telescope).

The Gumtree one looks suspiciously shiny-new - like it's just come out of the factory. :question:

[Wavytone]

Hehe it has been replaced on the mount at some point with the fork backwards...

[DeepSkyBagger]

Just think of the real telescope you could buy with that money...

[Merlin66]

I asked the vendor a couple of questions.......
Hmmm now the Ad has been withdrawn.

[Imme]

.....love ya' work Ken

[brian nordstrom]

::thumbsup: I was thinking that as well ,, that 16 inch Meade LX200 in the classifieds and a nice 130 APO with HEQ5 mount with the change .

Brian.

[Wavytone]

I do know of a real 4.25" Thomas Cooke refractor that was lovingly restored to full functioning glory and is regularly used at a school. Work of art and beautiful thing, complete with clockwork drive.

[LewisM]

Here's a prime example of an Indian fake

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/cook/other-home-decor/karl-zies-germany-1937-brass-telescope/1153048059

Worth $2...

[PCH]

Well spotted Lewis. You'd think if they were gonna do that, they check basik stuff like speeling huh