Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago

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Can you guess what this strange contraption is for? It's a pinwheel calculator and incredibly, was in use at the Bank of England until 1965! Watch this film to find out more about its history and how it works.

This film is part of our Objects in Focus series, where we take a moment to find out more about some of the interesting objects in the museum collection.

Find out more about the Bank of England Museum and view highlights from our collection: bankofengland.co.uk/museum/online-collections