How To Estimate Concertina Age?

[Geraghty]

I've just purchased two small-sized concertinas from a seller in the states, and of course was charged VAT on them when they arrived in the UK. I'm told that if they are older than 100 years, I can get my VAT refunded. My question to you folks is, what do I need to do to determine their age?

 

Here's a photo - they are the two on the right.

 

 

I'll be happy to take additional photos, take ends off etc - I'll be doing that as a restoration project anyway. I'll take pics of anything anyone needs to help identify a date. I'll probably have to ressurect this thread in February after I return from a trip, but I'm very eager to get started on this concertina-dating process. How does one prove a date? I'm told by the seller that they are German. There are numbers on the outside of either one, and no maker's marks on the larger one (middle in the photo). The smaller one has a stamp in the leather that says "Steel Reeds" and "Made in Germany" all in an oval.

[malcolm clapp]

. The smaller one has a stamp in the leather that says "Steel Reeds" and "Made in Germany" all in an oval.

 

 

The Made In Germany label is probably crucial. I forget the exact date, but somewhere just after the end of World War 1 was when German made goods had to be clearly identified as such. Earlier, they tended to have no such description, or maybe just the name of the German state in which they were produced.

 

Sorry to say that it looks like the VAT man has you beaten, at least on the smaller one.

[Geraghty]

Rats. Well, at least they're interesting boxes, and I'll keep trying to collect information on identifying them, so please let me know if you have any ideas or info.

 

I did some exploratory surgery today, there's one reed missing on the smaller one and a couple of broken springs, but it sounds like it is pitched to A/E. On the larger one, there are several broken springs and it seems to be an Eb/Bb. I've got some photos if anyone wants to see them.

 

Do you think they were pitched this way because the smaller size necessitated higher reeds, or were these desireable keys to have?

Edited January 15, 2006 by Geraghty

[Geraghty]

An update on progress - I've sent the littler one away to a restorer, and also asked him about how to determine its age. His reply:

 

"There are a few things to look for. 1, after a certain date the country of origin was supposed to be marked (made in Germany). I'm not sure when that was but that will give you the earliest date. 2 Patent numbers, but I don't think there's any on this one. 3 This has bone buttons which were superceded by plastic, mostly by the 1930s. You could also try and look for sales information, vast quantities were sold through catalogues from the late 1800s on although the designs for German concertinas didn't change a great deal. Klingenthal in former E.Germany is where they all came from."

 

Point one won't be much help because this concertina does indeed say "Made in Germany" on it - I don't know how many instruments (if any?) might have said that *before* it was required.

 

Point three is highly suggestive that this box is at least 70 years old - doesn't get me past the VAT man but it's still interesting history in its own right.

 

Regarding the sales catalogues - Does anyone here have access to that sort of sales information? Do you think the British Library might have something?

Edited January 27, 2006 by Geraghty