Patrick...I think what Dave says is correct. I bought a pair of field glasses at a gun show a couple of months ago. The fellow I bought them from specializes in antique optics and has done work for The Smithsonian and The Museum of The Confederacy. I spoke with him for several hours. Most binoculars, monoculars and telescopes, and opera glasses were imported from England or France. This guy restores old optics as well as handmakes leather goods including optics cases. The field glasses I bought are original 1863 manufacture. You can unscrew the objective lense (larger front lens) and see the manufacturer marks and date. The case is reproduction. But accurate to the nines. And since I plan to use them reenacting it made sense to have a sturdy repro case as opposed to a fragile original. The glasses are in excellent condition and the optics are clear and bright. Be careful with period optics. There was no coating process in those days and the lenses are nothing more than glass camera lenses. Even a short glimpse of direct sun can cause eye injury. You'll notice on field glasses that sun shields telescope off the body about 1-1/2 to 2 inches. This was to help block ambient light and to help protect the eyes. I was advised to never use them without the shields extended. Dave was also right in the magnification power of most optics of the period in that they were low. The purpose for magnifying optics including rifle scopes was to bring the image to directly in front of the eye instead out hundreds of yards in the distance. Mr. Addoms told me that while most optics were lower power than what we encounter to day that really expensive stuff of the period was really advanced. He told me he had personally cleaned andd refurbished a monocular or spotting scope that had belonged to E.P. Alexander and that they had a magnification power of 40X. That is huge. If you want to send me a picture by email of what you have I can see that this fellow (in Richmond) gets a look at it and helps with identification. He doesn't have a website and I don't have his e-mail. I do know where he lives and have his phone number. He is quite a craftsman. Oh, and an interesting note...the "leather" covering that fits the contour of the field glass frame is actually stretched deer hide. I was very pleased with my purchas at $200.00.

Keith
litnint@aol.com