Trumpet/Vintage Trumpet

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Expert: Mike Pawul - 5/30/2009


Question
I have a very old trumpet which appears to be silver as it tarnishes and cleans up with silver polish.  It has a Pat. of June 15 1886.  Serial # of 32443.  Above the serial # on the #2 slide it has a 0.  In the engraving on the horn I can make out Conn Maker Elkhardt IND Worcester, MASS.  It measures 12 1/2" in length.  6 1/2" at its widest and the bell measurer 4 7/8" across.  It isn't trashed but definitely has wear and the bell is a little dented and there are several dents on the instrument itself.  The mother-of-pearl is missing on the top of #2 valve and chipped with the chip missing on another valve.  The #3 valve has the mother-of-pearl in tact.  I can not find a model number on the horn.  The mouth piece is missing so, perhaps the model number was on the mouth piece.  All 4 slides are in tact.  Is it actually silver as it appears?  What is an approximate value?  Thank you.

Answer
Beverly, The horn is a very early Conn and dates to 1895. That makes it very rare and an important piece of Conn history. It sounds like the horn isn't in good shape so the value is not at the top of the scale. But it should be worth about $300-500 depending on the overall condition.

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Mike Pawul

Expertise

I am familiar with most trumpets, cornets, and flugelhorns. I can answer most questions about playing and musicality. Best of all, if I can't answer it directly I play regularly in several bands and have many "old timers" that are familiar with most things that I am not. I collect, repair, and refinish old horns and have sold over 600 with more than 400 on ebay

Experience

I have played since 1965 and studied with many directors and trumpeters. I have been collecting since 2002 and have over 150 horns in my personal collection. I have done repair and refinsh since 2003 and have done work on over 900 horns.

Organizations
Kosair Shrine Brass Band and Dance Band, The Notables, The Mello Tones, Bourbon City Brass Band, River Cities Concert Band, Derby City Brass Band, University of Louisville Community Band, Member of Trumpet Players International Network (TPIN), Bugles Across America (BAA), Member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT)

Education/Credentials
I played at Brunswick High School. I played through college and have a BS in Business Administration from Trinity College. Of course, I am still learning from all my friends that play and work on trumpets around the world.

Awards and Honors
Without being vain, numerous awards and have played in several honor bands.

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