A fine quality, early 19th century rack lever, with Freemason dial, all in exceptional condition.

MOVEMENT : Gilt rack lever movement, with engraved balance cock, diamond endstone, blued screws, and four round pillars. Signed (T. Cordingley, LEEDS) and numbered (672).
Protected by a removable gilt dustcap, engraved with the original owner’s name, place and date (George Armitage, Leeds, AD. 1819.
In fine condition, with bright gilding. There is one scratch across the balance cock foot, and a few other very light scratches. Running well.

The stop lever, on the side of the case at 7, stops and restarts the movement.

DIAL : Cream enamel dial with subsidiary seconds. Painted with a Freemason’s coat of arms. In fine, almost mint condition, with just one tiny chip at the centre of the seconds sub dial.
Fine matching blued steel hands.

INNER CASE : Silver, with Chester hallmarks for 1818, maker IE.
In excellent condition. The hinge is fine and the bezel snaps shut.
The crystal is also fine.

OUTER CASE : A very heavy silver pair case with matching hallmarks to the inner, and maker ITE. In fine condition throughout.

Thomas Cordingley worked in Leeds from 1816 and died in 1836.

The cases have interesting maker’s marks. The inner case is marked for John Ellison of Liverpool, while the outer is marked for both John and Timothy Ellison, so undoubtedly a matching pair.