Rarely to do we get one of these true Civil War era machines with the glass tension.  The glass tension machines were produced only from 1857 to 1873, when the glass tension was replaced with the automatic tension.  This one is in good shape with lots of the original gold gilt in place. 

A few rust spots and paint chips but, all in all, a very fine example of the early Willcox and Gibbs production. 

This machine is mounted on the rare and beautiful English hand crank.  The machine sews perfectly.  The base is newly made of fine walnut and the crank mechanism has been cleaned, repainted and trimmed in gilt copying the original pattern.