Picture of my mandolin

[blindy8]

I don't know much about mandolins but this Gibson was patented Feb 1, 1898 and the number on the faceplate is 9894

121930

I notice that there is a dowel in the headstock that is hard to notice but it is possible that the mandolin has been repaired because the back has a slight roughness in the paint on the back of the headstock as shown here:
121931

I was wondering what approximate value of this instrument would be

Thanks,

Mark

[pheffernan]

9894 seems to put your instrument in the 1909-1911 range: http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/list_mandolins.pl?all:7:. It looks to have had a significant headstock repair, which will adversely affect its value, and mandolins of that era have been available on eBay in the ~$900 range.

[blindy8]

9894 seems to put your instrument in the 1909-1911 range: http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/list_mandolins.pl?all:7:. It looks to have had a significant headstock repair, which will adversely affect its value, and mandolins of that era have been available on eBay in the ~$900 range.

Just curious, when a Gibson Mandolin shows a patent date as this one does of 1998, what does that mean if the mandolin itself is put in the 1909-1911 range?

[billhay4]

Well, a patent is a legal right to the design of a product. When, if ever, it's produced and sold depends on other factors entirely. The patent gives you the right to do that for a number of years, but the owner must raise the money, develop the market, and have the means to produce the product. Patents can be renewed, so something with a specific patent date can be produced for years after that date.
Bill

[pheffernan]

Just curious, when a Gibson Mandolin shows a patent date as this one does of 1998, what does that mean if the mandolin itself is put in the 1909-1911 range?

It means that the company patented a product in 1898 and sold it in subsequent years, in your case 1909-1911.

122038

[Jim Hilburn]

I did a quick perusal of my copy of the Gibson story by Jullius Bellson and he doesn't address the patent, however a local group of investors bought the rights to the Gibson name in 1902 from Orville. So O. Must have patented the archtop mandolin design before this and it may have been the reason the investors invested.

[blindy8]

Thanks for your clarifications; they were helpful.

Regards,

Mark

[billhay4]

Blindy,
As an additional comment, Gibsons are dated by the serial number of the instrument or the FON, a factory number usually stamped on the head block inside. The serial number is on the label normally.
Bill

[Tom C]

It looks like the headstock veneer was taken off.