# General Mandolin Topics > Vintage Instruments >  Can anyone help me to value my mandolin?

## roxanova

Lombardo mandolin from Firenze buit by R. Maurri, 1855. Thank you in advance.






Thank You. 
Rox

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## barney 59

That is something other than a mandolin. It has six strings and not tuned in pairs and only 7 frets before it meets the body. Some kind of mini lute maybe? Looks cool but what is it?

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## barney 59

OK, so I looked it up --Lombardic Mandolin ---so it is a mandolin! I mean they call it a mandolin so I guess it is.---Six strings tuned g,b,e,a,d,g.  These seem to have gone extinct by about 1900. Maybe someone knows how these were used.

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## roxanova

Thanks, barney
I found this references in the web about my instrument:

1. http://www.arteliutaria.it/article_m...8_page_1.shtml (in the middle of the page)

2. http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~mandolin/collect/inst_e.htm (the last one figure)

This mandolin is a heirloom, from  my family, and I do not know how it came to Argentina (I live in Buenos Aires). Some years ago, I put him strings and could play it. It has a beautiful sound. 
Now, i looking for his value or estimated price. 
Thank you.

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## barney 59

Most of the people that frequent this site play a type of mandolin that derived from the neopolitan mandolin that is tuned very differently than the mandolin you have there but there are history buffs here that will eventually weigh in on this. I wouldn't know where to go to value it. It comes from a very old style of playing music, for sure someone somewhere is looking to play Vivaldi on something like that.

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## allenhopkins

This is a poser.  A six-course Lombardic mandolin is a really rare bird.  I find 18th century ones being sold for over $3,400 US. Haven't seen a 19th century one; by the mid-1800's, the four-course double-strung instrument was becoming the overwhelming standard.  Found a luthier who builds new ones at the price of $2,300-3,700 US, depending on ornamentation levels.  But this is all guesswork.  The best way to obtain a decent appraisal, would be to visit a specialist in baroque-vintage instruments; should be such a person in Argentina.

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## roxanova

Thank you, Allen. So... I'll try to find a specialist. Thank you again, barney. 

Your comments have been very useful.
Regards,  
Rox

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## Jim Garber

These were common in late 19th century. Earlier examples would have 6 courses/12 strings and similar tuning. They are usually gut strung and also have that scalloped fretboard. I have one by another maker from Firenze named Serafino Casini, also 1896. 

I have pics of another Maurri mandolino but of the Brescian style attached here. 4 gut strings tuned gdae.

A few folks on the classical area are familiar with this style of mandolin. As to how it got to Argentina... i would guess that it was imported or brought by a player direct from Italy.

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## dave17120

I seem to remember one selling on ebay for several hundred English pounds.....

value is a very vague thing, it depends on the level of the instrument, where you sell, how it is described, what state its in, who it was made by, and who is looking for one at the time.... but I think £500 would be a safe lower limit, nearly 3,300 ARS.

One here sold for 1,800$....
http://mysite.verizon.net/musictreasures/mandolin.htm
Good luck, Dave

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## Jim Garber

Rox:
I just noticed your original post. Are you sure that it is dated 1855? Do you have some more and clearer photos of the label, assuming that the date is on it?

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## Steve Ostrander

The fretboard appears to be scalloped between frets which is unusual on modern mandolins. I don't know about very old mandolins, perhaps it was common?

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## Jim Garber

Mine has a scalloped fretboard, in fact I believe all of this style does.

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## roxanova

Hi, Jim. First: thank you. About the date 1855, not, I not sure. 

My mandolin is identical to this one (middle of the page, _Mandolino lombardo del Perugia, Firenze_. ) 
http://www.arteliutaria.it/article_m...8_page_1.shtml 

Edit: the label not have any date. Sorry. My reference was an image in 
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~mandolin/collect/inst_e.htm (the lats one) but now I see that it's not the same instrument because that of the image has 4 strings.

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## roxanova

Thank You so much, Dave. I live in Argentina... Is very hard to sell vintages instruments here. I think that it would be good that I sent the mandolin to a friend who lives in USA and then she tries to sell it there. What do you think?

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## Mandobar

There are a lot of Italians who were originally from Argentina.  When my dad died a few years back I discovered that his grandfather was Argentine.

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## roxanova

Mandobar, u 'r right. In Argentina, 90 % of the population has some European forefather, especially Italian and Spanish. I'm an italian, spanish, french and native mix  :Smile:  
Today, an argentine luthier said me that many vintage mandolines that exist in the country, came to half of the 19th century from Italy.

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## bennyb

Idle rumination: evidently mauri is latin for moors:  the race or ethnicity.  and
1855 might be the date of the company establishment as in est. 1855.

carry on, benny

Edit: very nice looking instrument.  Not an expert, but the label looks late 19th C. or early 20th C. to me

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## barney 59

Taken the style of mandolin  and from what I have been able to find out about 6 course Lombardic mandolins even in 1855 these things were already on their way out. By 1900 it seems that no more were being produced. The logic would stand that it is 19th century at least. One like it is dated as 1855 and I guess the next thing would be to try and figure out the period of operation of the manufacturer. Many branded instrument names only lasted a single generation and if that was the case it would probably narrow it down to a half century more or less. If it's one off those grand old names that survived centuries -- well,that would be nice to know as well. I have had a couple of things that were very old and I thought might be valuable,one a 200+ year old girandole mirror of exceptional size that was given to me by a Rockefeller and out of their own house which made me think maybe I had hit the bingo button. I contacted Bonhams. They were really helpful in helping value it and would have been happy to help me unload it as well. It was pretty valuable but not so much that I could kill a mortgage or send a kid through college so I still have it. I like to think that maybe it belonged to Dolly Madison. Bonhams does do antique musical instruments and has occasional dedicated auctions specifically selling instruments so they may have experts on staff.

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## Margriet

Valuing is a difficult thing. I am no trader. In my opinion it depends on how someone loves it and what he/she wants to pay.

There are few people who are playing them. I see them on eBay about € 500, but that are plain ones, with restoration issues. Not often you see one that is as nice as yours. I have one very nice one, which was in good condition and of course more expensive.

I am told that most of them you find now, were made in the second half of the 19th century, around the 80's. They are stringed with gut strings and the lower ones wounded strings, played with a plectrum of cherrywood. 

If you look on cafe, searching on Lombardian, Lombardy, Lombardo, you will find more threads with information, as well as on the internet.

Jim: just one of mine does not have a scalloped fingerboard, this is also a bit smaller. The others I saw all have them scalloped.

Margriet

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## Jim Garber

I bought mine on eBay a number of years ago. I don't think I paid more than $600 then, so I would say € 500 would be about right maybe a little more. They are not exactly in demand. if you have a friend in Europe you might be better sending it to him or her. Std metal strung bowlbacks don't sell here much and these are pretty obscure. I think your best bet would be to list it in the classifieds here. 

I still am not so sure that that date of 1855 -- it seems way too early. I will see if i can find more info on the maker.

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## Jim Garber

I bought mine on eBay a number of years ago. I don't think I paid more than $600 then, so I would say € 500 would be about right maybe a little more. They are not exactly in demand. if you have a friend in Europe you might be better sending it to him or her. Std metal strung bowlbacks don't sell here much and these are pretty obscure. I think your best bet would be to list it in the classifieds here. 

I still am not so sure that that date of 1855 -- it seems way too early. I will see if i can find more info on the maker.

BTW R. Maurri is better known as a publisher of music. it is quite possible that this was made for that store by another maker.

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## roxanova

Thank you so much, Jim. I decided that I will send the mandolin to a friend who lives in Italy. 

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions!

all the best, 
Rox

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## roxanova

Response from a luthier from Italy (sorry, in italian):
"Ciao Rox,lo strumento in questione è un mandolino milanese,fabbricato dal 1830 fino alla terza decade del 900,poi piano piano caduto in disuso,e poco suonato a causa della tastiera corta,mentre l'evoluzione del mandolino classico a quattro corde, andava con la tastiera oltre la buca dello strumento consentendo di eseguire anche pezzi di opere importanti.Non'è uno strumento commerciale,*ma a me interessa lo stesso*.Quando lo portano in Italia lo visionerò,e montando le corde e provandolo,potrò dare una valutazione obbiettiva.nel ringraziarti dell'interessamento, ti invio un caro saluto. Riccardo

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