Re: Information on this Mandolin
Checking Longworth's book, I think it's a Style 1, which started in 1898 with 18 ribs in the back, went to 20 in 1904 -- when the pickguard inlay was dropped -- and went to 22 ribs in 1909. It went to a "side guard" pickguard in 1917, and was last produced in 1924. I can't clearly count the ribs from the pic, but if you do so, you may get a more accurate date for its manufacture.
I found several references to an "H Spahr Music" business in Jersey City ("J C") around the turn of the 20th century. I'd guess that the store added the second stamp below the C F Martin stamp -- because I'd expect Martin to have lined up the stamping more precisely!
Because of C F Martin's reputation in the guitar and ukulele worlds, Martin bowl-back mandolins, which were only made up to the early 1920's, sometimes get inflated asking prices. I'd consider rcc56's estimate of retail price reasonable -- again, mainly because it has the Martin label.
Allen Hopkins
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