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American-made Brass Sundial Signed by Patrick Hepburn, Marlborough, Maryland, 1720. 10" x 10" heavy brass horizontal ...
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Consign your material to be auctioned alongside these items on Friday, April 24, 2026 in Dallas, TX. Consignment Deadline for this auction is Friday, February 6, 2026.
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Description
American-made Brass Sundial Signed by Patrick Hepburn, Marlborough, Maryland, 1720. 10" x 10" heavy brass horizontal sundial plate, engraved Roman numeral hour markers, compass rose at center, floral rosettes in each corner, original base of gnomon remaining (upper portion lacking), with deep green patina from age. Engraved inscription at the top reads: "PATRICK HEPBURN / MARLBOROUGH 1720 / LATT 39."This rare early scientific instrument bears the name of Dr. Patrick Hepburn, a physician practicing in Upper Marlborough, Prince George's County, Maryland, during the early eighteenth century. The inscribed latitude of 39° matches the Chesapeake region (Upper Marlborough lies at 38.8° N), indicating the sundial was carefully calculated for its American location rather than imported from England.
The form is a classic square horizontal dial with bold Roman numeral divisions and decorative engraving. Although sundials were widely imported into the colonies during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, signed, site-specific American-made examples of this early date are virtually unknown. The earliest documented colonial sundials are typically English in origin, while the best-known later American examples include those by Goldsmith Chandlee of Virginia (active 1770s–90s) and the celebrated dial at Mount Vernon, dating from c.1765–1781.
If indeed executed in Marlborough, Maryland in 1720, this instrument represents one of the earliest surviving American scientific instruments of any kind—predating the work of Chandlee and other known American makers by more than half a century. The engraving of the local latitude, combined with Hepburn's documented presence in Prince George's County at the time, strongly supports its colonial manufacture.
Condition: Original plate with expected oxidation and surface wear; patina untouched. Upper section of gnomon missing.
Provenance: Acquired in upstate New York from the estate of a Washington, D.C. realtor active in the 1950s–60s.
Significance: No other sundial by Patrick Hepburn is currently recorded in institutional or auction archives, making this a unique and historically important early American instrument—an artifact of colonial science, timekeeping, and craftsmanship
Auction Info
2026 April 24 - 25 Americana & Political Signature® Auction #6327 (go to Auction Home page)
Bidding Begins Approx.
March
24th
Tuesday
Auction Dates
April
24th-25th
Friday-Saturday
Proxy Bidding Begins Approx.
91 Days
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: N/A
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 16
Auction Type
Signature®: Heritage Live®:After Internet bidding closes, live bidding will take place through www.HA.com/Live. Your secret maximum bid placed prior to the live event will compete against the live bids. To maximize your chances of winning, enter realistic secret maximum bids on our site. Many of our proxy bidders are successful at winning lots in these auctions, and usually below their secret maximum. You can also place last minute bids directly with us by e-mailing Bid@HA.com or calling 1-866-835-3243. (Important note: Due to software and Internet latency, live bids may not register in time, so enter realistic proxy bids.)
Signature® Floor Sessions
Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session. During the live auction event, bidding in person is encouraged, and Heritage Live includes streaming audio and often video during the event.
Signature®: Heritage Live®:After Internet bidding closes, live bidding will take place through www.HA.com/Live. Your secret maximum bid placed prior to the live event will compete against the live bids. To maximize your chances of winning, enter realistic secret maximum bids on our site. Many of our proxy bidders are successful at winning lots in these auctions, and usually below their secret maximum. You can also place last minute bids directly with us by e-mailing Bid@HA.com or calling 1-866-835-3243. (Important note: Due to software and Internet latency, live bids may not register in time, so enter realistic proxy bids.)
Signature® Floor Sessions
Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session. During the live auction event, bidding in person is encouraged, and Heritage Live includes streaming audio and often video during the event.
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