Curta

A real mechanical marvel - a miniaturized stepped drum device with either 11 digits (Type 1) or 13 digits (Type 2) of precision.

It adds, subtracts by adding the 9s complement, and multiples or divides by repeated addition (or subtraction) and the use of a movable carriage that magnifies (diminishes) operations by a factor of 10 for every position it's shifted.

A great source of Curta information is http://www.vcalc.net/cu.htm.

Type 1

Having suffered only a few minor abrasions, this late model Type 1 is still in great shape and works beautifully. I don't have the original metal cannister for it, but instead have a lovely leather case on an extendable carrying strap.

Type 2

This late model Type 2 is in near mint condition, having been bought from the original owner who only used it to show others what a cool device it was. There are a few light scratches on the cannister, a bit of discoloration on the bottom and some very light scratches on the top. The operation is silky smooth.