These highly polished solid metal tops have a chrome like finish and are excellently machined. Simply spin it as normal and watch it suddenly flip over and then continue to spin upside-down!
Flip over tops (often known as tippe tops) were originally invented in 1950 by the Danish engineer Werner Ostberg. His inspiration came from a visit to South America where he had seen local people playing with a small round fruit. When they turned it by the stalk like an old-fashioned spinning top, it would spin for a second and then invert and spin on the stalk.
However credit should be given to Helene Sperl who in 1891 patented a "Wendekreisel" in Germany. The patent ran out and it was never mass produced.
More information about tippe tops can be found here www.fysikbasen.dk/English.php?page=Vis&id=79
The tops are 29mm in diameter ( 1.14 inches )
and about 36mm tall (1.41 inches )
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