Expert: Kenton Scott - 11/22/2008

Question
I found a baritone or euphonium in the attic of my church that hasn't been touched in a very long time. the logo Carl Fischer Professional New York with a number 25787 under the logo, there are also the numbers 21-250-19 on the valves. i was hopeing you could provide some insite into the origin of this instrument and maybe a website that could provide an estimate. thanks

Answer
Carl Fischer has a long history as a dealer in instruments, and obtained them from a variety of sources.  Late in their instrument dealing career (1940-1970s), they bought the York company and manufactured their own.  There are no available records of their serial numbers, and it appears that they may have had separate serial number lists for different types of instruments.  

It is likely that yours was an instrument made in the Czech Republic and then branded for Fischer.