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Mysterious Vintage Brass Device Found in Grandpa's Stuff

A close-up photograph of an old, circular brass or copper device with a tarnished finish, placed on a wooden surface. The dial features numbers arranged in two sequences: 1 through 9 on the right half and 10 through 90 on the left half, each incrementing by 1 and 10 respectively. At the center is a brass mechanism with a horizontal lever, two spherical weights, and a decorative central plate secured by screws. The dial has faint engravings: 'Bte' (likely an abbreviation for 'Breveté', French for 'Patented') near the top and 'E.G' near the bottom. The object appears to be a vintage measuring instrument or mechanical tool, showing signs of age and wear.
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Circular brass dial with numbers 1-9 (right) and 10-90 (left), featuring central brass lever mechanism and engravings 'Bte' and 'E.G'

Overview

A close-up photograph of an old, circular brass or copper device with a tarnished finish, placed on a wooden surface. The dial features numbers arranged in two sequences: 1 through 9 on the right half and 10 through 90 on the left half, each incrementing by 1 and 10 respectively. At the center is a brass mechanism with a horizontal lever, two spherical weights, and a decorative central plate secured by screws. The dial has faint engravings: 'Bte' (likely an abbreviation for 'Breveté', French for 'Patented') near the top and 'E.G' near the bottom. The object appears to be a vintage measuring instrument or mechanical tool, showing signs of age and wear.

Origin notes

The image was originally posted on 9Gag with the title 'Need a Captain: What is this? Found in grandpa's stuff', indicating it was user-created content. The photograph shows a real, physical object discovered in the user's grandfather's belongings, with no visible editing or digital manipulation. It is presented as a request for identification of the mysterious vintage device.

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