1950's Boy Scouts Mystery compass

Description:

Exterior: This compass has a gold colored aluminum cover showing a debossed Boy Scout giving the official Boy Scout salute, and the text "5-in-1 Mystery Hidden Compass" around the perimiter of the face of the cover. The cover has a formed shallow groove running around the perimeter of the cover.

The body of the compass is formed from a flattened cylindrical aluminum pan, closed at one end, which fits inside the cover. A u-shaped steel spring formed from flattened steel is attached to the center of the closed face of the body, the legs of the U touching the sides of the body. Small convex curvatures in the ends of the spring are designed to engage the groove in the cover and hold it in place.

A sharp steel pin is fixed to the center of the body, protruding outward, away from the face of the body. The pin is threaded at the base of the pin, and tapered and sharp toward the tip. An acorn nut is threaded onto the pin, covering it and protecting the pin from damage, as well as protecting the bearer from the pin.

Affixed to the interior side of the body is an information sheet giving a space for the owner's name, address, city, state and phone number. This information is filled in, which I will not replicate here. The compass dial and a magnifying lens are stored inside the compass body when closed. When assembled, this compass is about 3/4" X 1/2".

The five pieces are assembled as follows: The acorn nut is threaded over the pin, the compass face and lens are placed inside the compass body, and the compass cover is snapped over the body, enaging and held in place by the steel spring.

To operate as a compass, the parts are disassembled, and the body is inverted over a level surface, or held in the hand. The compass dial is placed on the pin and allowed to rotate freely.

Compass Face: Aluminum disk with black printing.

The Needle: Card-type aluminum disk affixed to a magnetic steel bar.

Damage: Wear points showing on the aluminum case. Unknown if there are missing parts.

Specifications:

• Manufacturer: Unknown
• Date of Manufacture: Most likely post WW-II, but early in the second half of the 20th century. Certainly before 1965 when the last of the named exchanges went away.
• Materials:
• Body: Gold colored aluminum.
• Crystal: N/A
• Magnifying Lens: Glass
• Body: Aluminum
• Pin: Steel
• Acorn Nut: Steel
• Size: 3/4" X 1/2"
• Needle: Magnetized steel bar
• Damping: None
• Pivot: non-jewelled steel post
• Graduations: Cardinal and intra-cardinal points, both letters and degrees.
• Weight: 2 oz
• Stop: None
• Marks: Text on the cover "5-in-1 Mystery Hidden Compass"
• Serial Number: none
• Other: paper card contained in the body has the original owner's first initial, last name, address, and 5-digit phone number.