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An incomplete genesis of the Type II
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Jack



Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 56
Location: Chicago, Illinois USA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:54 pm    Post subject: An incomplete genesis of the Type II Reply with quote

This information is posted elsewhere in the Curta Bulletin Board under General Information, but it is appropriate to show it here, too:

Here's an incomplete genesis of the Type II. There are additional variations, but for now...

Black, metal crank, metal clearing lever, circular nameplate writing, early internals, small carriage digits
Black, metal crank, metal clearing lever, horizontal nameplate writing from now on
Black, metal crank, metal clearing lever, finalized internals
Grey, metal crank, metal clearing lever
Grey, metal crank, metal clearing lever, larger carriage digits from now on, outer clearing plate edge is shaved so top of larger digits can be seen. Cut edge of clearing plate is bare aluminum.
Grey, metal crank with fluorescent orange reversing indicator, metal clearing lever, shaved clearing plate still reveals bare aluminum
Grey, metal crank with fluorescent orange reversing indicator, metal clearing lever, shaved clearing plate edge anodized from now on
Grey, metal crank with red painted reversing indicator, metal clearing lever,
Grey, plastic crank with red reversing indicator and a chrome ring, metal clearing lever
Grey, plastic crank with red reversing indicator, metal clearing lever
Grey, plastic crank with red reversing indicator, plastic clearing lever
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Jack Christensen
Timewise
32 Old Barn Road
Hawthorn Woods, ILLINOIS 60047
USA
847-550-5052 (evenings)
curta.info@gmail.com


Last edited by Jack on Thu May 10, 2012 4:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 8:25 pm    Post subject: Black bodies later than grey? Reply with quote

Hi All,

Curta type 2 519xxx FS on the bay right now showing plastic crank, metal clearing ring, black body but is much later than my grey-body all-metal 511xxx...did they continue making black-body type 2s after starting production of the grey-body types?

Thanks in advance for any enlightenment...

Pete
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's the link - there is English at the bottom for those who, like me, are somewhat rusty at German...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Curta-Type-II-Typ-2-Rechenmaschine-calculator-519712_W0QQitemZ260568860939QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAntike_B%C3%BCrotechnik?hash=item3cab1d490b#ht_4162wt_954

I'd love to get one of these but hate it if I ended up with a FrankenCurta.
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murff



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 592
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I think it's a black & white picture of the grey Curta (or a t least a dark picture with less color)... kind of artistic photograpy.
And there is no structure of the surface of the black Curta body (see 2nd picture).

murff
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Y'know, I could've sworn that photo looked darker until I checked it just now. Must be the monitor on my work computer. I must admit seeing the texture of the paint looking identical to my 511xxx and 545xxx was a surprise given the apparent colour - I'd assumed the black-body type 2s were finished as on the type 1.

I think you're right, Murff - I'll give it a miss, I already have one of those. Thanks.

Oh, and I noticed that I'm missing a plastic crank, plastic clearing ring type 1...if anyone's got one that they don't need, please let me know...
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
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Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:20 pm    Post subject: Setting lever colour change Reply with quote

Quick question for someone who knows more about these than me:

As we all know, Type 2s have coloured setting knobs - either red or black. In most every later type 2 (520xxx+) we see that these knobs/levers alternate in colour between black and red across the setting face.

On curta.li (Murff's site) we see the Bernerin type 2 has its setting levers/knobs arranged in a different way...with the colours grouped, rather than alternating.

When was the change made? I can see 514197 (on ebay right now) has alternating red and black, but 511869 on my desk in front of me has the grouped style.

Any ideas, or comments from the owners of the 2328 (curta-calculated!) machines that stand between the two serial numbers noted above? Thanks.
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murff



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 592
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It seems that this configuration of the knobs is from the first series of grey Curtas. The earliest known is 510633 (my own is 510978). All Curtas with this pattern are around these group of numbers.

Gruss, murff
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Murff,

Thanks for the info - well, you know they extend as far as 511869 anyhow, and now I know how far back they go.

When you say, "the earliest known is 510633", do you mean that 500001 to 510622 are black-body machines, or were they grey-body with some other knob-colour arrangement? Or is it unknown? Did they make exactly 10000 black-body machines, does anyone know?

And of course if anyone can point me in the right direction to find out the earliest serial number of the different, alternating arrangement (the one seen on most type 2s), I would be grateful. They sure put out a lot of different little variations, but I'm not sure just how many representatives can fit in my collection. Getting one of EVERY type sounds like it could be rather pricey...especially if they're in good condition.
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thought I'd make a couple of small extra notes, to add to what Jack listed:

#500550 is black, has small digits, an unmarked (no arrow, low-profile bump like 40xxx) metal crank that is midway in size between the usual type-2-length metal crank and a 40xxx type-1 metal crank; the reversing ring is bare aluminum and the nameplate writing is horizontal. Edge of clearing plate NOT cut but rather angled very much like an all-metal type 1 (looks pretty much identical actually).

Decimal markers - five on the bottom and six on top, and the reversing lever arrows are like most every other Curta out there, not like the old-style 'system Curt Herzstark' marked ones.

I paid too much for this one!

Next on my list: A decent camera with a macro function.
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Pete



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PostPosted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Further to an earlier post regarding the arrangement of the colours on the setting levers, another collector reports that his machine 512331 shows the latter arrangement; that is, BB-R-BB-R (thank you sir).

So that narrows it down still further, to a maximum of 1698 machines, between 510633 and somewhat prior to 512331, for those of you who are interested (there must be SOMEONE out there that cares, ho ho). That makes them somewhat scarce, if you have one in good shape!
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murff



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 592
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is one in good shape:
511701


Murff

PS: don't forget to visit curta.li with all the latest updates (e.g. pictures from the earliest known original factory Curta demonstration model # 972, from a private collection in Germany...!)
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, but I can't get over the feeling that this machine was repaired at some point, resulting in the plastic crank being installed. My 511869 was made within weeks of that one, and matches your Bernerin pictures perfectly, as should any machine made between the two numbers.

The paint (and the etching of the rear result arrow) is a little worn, indicating some use over the years (difficult to see in the pictures), but the base plate is amazingly clean. When repairing these machines, did they re-engrave a new baseplate with the original serial number if that particular part required replacement? I thought they just repaired them to operational condition and didn't worry too much about cosmetics - there's actually a reference to someone asking about a late type 2 with NO serial number on the base somewhere on this site. I thought a no-serial base indicated a baseplate replacement at the factory.

Anyway this particular machine looks to be in good shape and will surely be snapped up by one collector or another but, as I own a virtually untouched example "next door" in the serial numbers I don't need it myself!

I did like the "I won't bang on about mint condition" line in the seller's description though, it's nice to see someone being so honest. There was one listed as mint a couple of weeks ago that was as dirty as a subway platform.

The other side of the coin is also nice - I just took delivery of one which was ill-served by its photo description in the original listing - better than excellent condition and snapped up for one of the lowest prices in the last six months - lucky me!
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Pete



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PostPosted: Tue Jul 06, 2010 10:01 pm    Post subject: More about setting knob patterns Reply with quote

The owner of 512132 informs me that his machine is also of the later knob grouping; this makes the series a maximum of 1499 machines (512132-510633=1499).

The (ahem) burning question remains - where, in the series 511869 to 512132, was the change made?

Any comment from an owner of any of the machines between the two serial numbers above would be welcome.

And input from another Swiss correspondent implies that he hasn't seen one of these before - this from someone who's been fixing them for some years.
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Pete



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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ha, 512091 going on Ebay right now is of the later style of sliders. So 510633 to 512091 is 1458 machines, or maybe less, with those 'grouped' sliders.

The subtraction in this case was performed by #40579 which sits on my desk and sees daily use. I love these little machines.
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murff



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 592
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

From the List Of Curtas:

510633 -- Donald Rosen (USA) -- Lowest known Gray Body
510667 -- Vincent Merlen (CAN)
510675 -- Jorge L. Pang A.
510993 -- Ole Steen
511181 -- Rick Blake
511185 -- Paul Amos
511212 -- A Sargeant
511219 -- Chris Grow
511326 -- Vincent Merlen (CAN)
511486 -- Victor Kuhl
511622 -- Fabio Caruso
511682 -- Enrico Panfili
511697 -- Tim Winker
511861 -- Graham Nash (Australia)
511884 -- Thomas Mc Namara (USA)
512045 -- Steve Willey

... it seems that they are as rare as the green boxed Demo-Curtas Very Happy
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