🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Can anyone date this dug Our Soldiers and Sailors Harmonica?

[JamesJr]

This Harmonica was dug in Virginia amongst a mix of pre-civilian, civil war and post civil war artifacts. On top side it has Our Soldiers & Sailors Harmonica. On the back it has for Professional and Amateurs and some other statement I can't read but starts with warranty.

 

[Mud Hut]

1

920

 

[JamesJr]

Awesome. You are a great researcher. Who would figure out that? I find it more interesting than if it were a civil war relic. Thank you so much. Jim

 

[JamesJr]

This Harmonica was dug in Virginia amongst a mix of pre-civilian, civil war and post civil war artifacts. On top side it has Our Soldiers & Sailors Harmonica. On the back it has for Professional and Amateurs and some other statement I can't read but starts with warranty.

1View attachment 2213858920

Does it have any value or trash it?

 

[robertk]

Yep. If you blow that photo of the back side of it up, you can read "made in Germany" at the bottom in small print.

 

[Mud Hut]

Does it have any value or trash it?

No, don't trash it. It could have some value. I will check my 4-volume set on harmonicas to see if I can find anything else.

 

[invent4hir]

Does it have any value or trash it?

Even if it doesn't have monetary value it may have historic value...

 

[The Rebel]

That's a great find!

 

[Gare]

yes it is a great find. Care to share with us where was it found ? (Just General area )

 

[Blackfoot58]

Fantastic find! I play harmonicas daily and love seeing unusual ones. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[JamesJr]

yes it is a great find. Care to share with us where was it found ? (Just General area )

Hampton VA

 

[Mackaydon]

On page 596 of John Whiteman's "Harmonic Anthology", 11th Edition 2019, he states the maker of that harmonica is unknown.
I wish I had better news to report.
Don in SoCal
Source: https://pdfcoffee.com/john-whiteman-harp-anthology-pdf-free.html

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Never trash history. Find a cardboard box and toss it in. There will be things you find in your detecting travels that you think are trash and later find out (maybe decades later) what it really is. If nothing else it serves as educational. If you’re after $$ detecting then toss it.

Problem arises when you later end up finding who lived in a particular house and their back story..suddenly pieces of the puzzle might start to fall together. A black and white photo found at a geneology website showing the guy playing a harmonica..might also just be accumulated junk.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Seems like there was a certain period of history where warranties were a big thing. I’m not sure when that peaked.