Expert: Kenton Scott - 5/11/2007

Question
I was recently handed down a Lyon and Healy cornet which I believe is to be silver plated. It comes in the original case with the attachable music stand and 3 extra slides. It has a few dents but it looks like it would shine up nice. It appears that it has mother of pearl caps. Very nice engravings and is stamped with the serial number 11313. Could you give me a ball park on how old this is and how much if anything I should insure it for. I want my children to be able to pass it down. My father had told me that one of his relatives had played it in the Chicago symphony. Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Stefan

Answer
Hi,

Lyon and Healy was a major supplier of instruments about 100 years ago until about 1940.  Most of the instruments they sold were imports, although they did make some themselves.  All their records were lost in fires, so no serial number list for dating their products exists.  In fact, it appears that they may have used several different numbering schemes.

It is unlikely that it was played in a symphony, as it is unusual for a symphony to use cornets.  Trumpets are used instead in symphonies.  

You can check on eBay for similar instruments, to see if you can find one that matches to aid in establishing value, but unless is says "Own Make" which would indicate that is was actually one of Lyon and Healy manufacture, it is probably an import.  They don't sell for a lot of money.  And it is probably from the early part of the 20th century.