A Beautiful Brass Key On A Marble Base. British Marconi - c 1930's. Rare.

This is a beautiful key indeed. Dated from around the late 1920's to the early 1930's. A brass key on a brown marble base. The threads are 2BA (and small ones 6BA). Measurements are: Marble base measures 6 & 3/8" by 3 & 1/4" with a cork under base. The cork base looks to be glued with shelac. 1/2" dia bearings. 1/8" dia silver contacts. 1 & 1/4" dia knob with a 1 & 3/4" dia skirt, both in grey bakelite. Grey bakelite was popular in the 1930's.

The patina shows a key of considerable age, and the workmanship is superb. I will be using this on HF CW on the next SKCC WES (Straight Key Century Club, week end sprint).

Interesting in that both the lower and upper contacts are fixed with hex nuts. It is usually found that just the lower contact is mounted like this - as in the Marconi Navy key, the AP 7681.

"BK"