This is a wonderful jumbo sized Gurley Vernier Transit Compass (VTC). The first thing you will notice about this instrument is its size - it's BIG. This is the only transit that Gurley made circa 1900 that had a 6 inch needle - all the other transits had needles of 5.5 inches or smaller..

Gurley called this model of transit different things - the VTC, the Vernier Transit and the Transit Compass. I like VTC.

A Gurley VTC is essentially a Gurley vernier compass but with a telescope instead of sight vanes. The key thing to look for - a VTC lacks a horizontal circle. The early Gurley manuals describe how much better a VTC is than a comparable vernier compass with sight vanes - see the pics at the bottom of this webpage for all the reasons why Gurley says a VTC is better.

This Gurley VTC has a nice patina and would look nice on display. The transit comes with everything seen in the pics including the tripod. To really appreciate this instrument, please take a look at the 360 Degree Spinner for this instrument.

Based on the design features of this instrument, I believe the VTC was made sometime around 1900. I used Brian Aregood's book on dating Gurley transits to date the instrument. Great book. Below you will see the Gurley prices in 1901 for VTC's. The jumbo sized VTC offered here has a 6 inch needle, 3.5 inch vertical circle and an 11.5 inch inch telescope. VTC's with 5 inch needles had the vernier mechanism located inside the compass. The 6 inch VTC's had external verniers.

The optics on the VTC are nice. The crosshairs and stadia wires are present. The level vials all have liquid. Everything else seems to work ok.

Gurley VTC's were not hot-sellers back in the day. Most surveyors who wanted a transit opted for a higher priced but more functional instrument (one that could measure independently of the needle). Whatever the reason, Gurley VTC's do not come up for sale very often, and command a meaningful premium when the do. A nice Gurley VTC sold at a Skinner auction for nearly $2100 in 2019, for example (Skinner calls the instrument a Reconnaissance Transit, but the instrument is clearly a VTC).

The VTC offered here has its original cap and sunscreen for the telescope. The VTC also has the special order tripod leveling base, which was a $13 extra back in the day.

I have a good deal of information about Gurley, including some production information, posted on my Gurley Maker Webpage.

360 Degree Spinner View - With ZOOM View