Although unused, these are "ancient" and I would estimate I have had them in the "crystal drawers" since around the 1960's ~ 1970's when I was a younger fellow!
McMurdo appear to have been a British company but they also "set up shop" here in Australia as well, back in the 1950's ~ 1960's
The material used is definitely the early plastic known as bakelite, Brown in colour ... see my description below about this.
Try walking into Jaycar and asking for one of these! Blank stares (mumble mumble) then more blank stares ...
MCMURDO (Australia) - Quartz Crystal Socket
Package: for use with HC6/U crystals
12.34mm hole to hole spacing with a crystal lead up to around 1.5mm diameter
I am prepared to declare that the solder tags (at least) are Silver plated, I cleaned them up for reliable soldering (they were Yellowish looking) and noticed they are reacting to the metal cleaner as Silver does (Black oxide) and I also noticed a lack of "surface pitting" which happens with Nickel plating over many years.
18.75mm length x 9.55mm wide x 6.2mm height
Central hole for bolt mounting onto a board and the two sockets have 5.8mm OD underside rims which are also intended to mate with corresponding holes in the board onto which this socket is mounted.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
NEW but ancient stock!
Clean
Solder tags and topside entry sockets for the crystal pins are clean and shiny
Body material has been positively identified as Bakelite, doing the "rub test" (Yellow residue off the material and a slight formaldehyde smell is emitted when rubbed)
SPECIAL NOTE:
In my efforts to make sure these sockets were A1, I unintentionally damaged one underside circular rim on each of the sockets - bakelite doesn't take kindly to being stressed! I was attempting to twist the pin so that it didn't move in the body too much ... (should have left well alone me thinks in hindsight).
Anyway, only a very small chip from the rim of one pin ON ALL SOCKETS has come away - this in NO WAY affects the usefulness of the sockets, it can still be mounted properly and the electrical operation of the pins is unaffected.
This small chip is very small but perhaps it can be seen in the photograph(s)
Each crystal socket is now packed in it's own little sealed clear plastic packet - seeking the answer to life (is it really 42?), why am I here? (did Man create me or was it God?) and similar bizzare thoughts that crystal sockets may have ...
