Expert: Kenton Scott - 1/9/2011

Question
My parents bought me a Conn Cornet from a pawn shop in the 1950s S/N 179274.  I played it for about 10 years and am cleaning it up to play again just for personal pleasure.  It has ornate engraving on the bell. Mainly silver colored, but with brass colored enlays.
It also has the lever to change from B flat to C so that you don't have to transpose music. Can you identify approximate year it was made and current value?

Answer
It dates to 1921.  In all likelihood, that which you describe as brass, is gold plating.  

There were some cornets that would change from C to Bb to A, but most went from Bb to A.  You may be able to figure out what model it is from:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~cderksen/ConnCornet.html

or

http://www.horn-u-copia.net/Reference/Productline.php?maker=Conn&instrument=Corn...