Pan American 50A
Date: 1930-19??. Owned by Britni Lynn Rice.
Pan American was a subsidiary of the Conn company that produced student model instruments before 1954. The 50A was in production from 1931 through at least 1938. Since this is a lacquered instrument it would be a "finish 4, lacquered" from the description. Which means in 1938 it would have cost someone $60.50 (Finish 4 complete = $57.50 + $3.00 for the lacquer). It has a #2 (0.468") bore.
As far as I can tell at this point, all Conn cornets built before 1958 take a short shank cornet mouthpiece as opposed to the 2¾" "Bach-style" long shank cornet mouthpiece. The long shank cornet mouthpieces won't properly fit a pre-1958 Conn cornet and won't give the proper intonation or playing characteristics of a short shank cornet mouthpiece. All of Conn's "Connstellation" cornet mouthpieces are long shank mouthpieces. The "Improved Precision" Conn mouthpieces such as the Conn 4 are long shank if there is a "ridge" halfway down the shank, and short shank if there is no ridge (in which case it is a "Precision" mouthpiece). All Conn cornet mouthpieces built before the "Improved Precision" series (ridge), such as the "Precision" series (no ridge) are short shank mouthpieces.
Pan American instruments of 1938 were available in 3 finishes:
FINISH 2 - Rich satin silver with engraving design and other parts brightly burnished. Inside of bell gold
plated and hand burnished.
FINISH 3 - Rich sating silver with inside of bell, engraving design and other prominent parts handsomely burnished
for added beauty.
FINISH 4 - Highly polished brass with distinctive engraving design on bell. Clear or Gold lacquer applied to this
finish at EXTRA prices below.
LACQUER - For Clear or Gold lacquer, ADD the following charges to the price of the instrument in Finish 4; Cornet
or Trumpet, $3.00.
What Pan American said in 1938:
Features new, short "Slik-Valves" for greater playing ease, speed and long life. Round, rich, mellow tone. Built
in Bb, A. Length 15½ inches; Bell 4½". Complete in Gladstone case.
Fin.2 - Complete, $67.50 Inst.only, $55.00 Case only, $15.00
Fin.4 - Complete, $57.50 Inst.only, $45.00 Case only, $15.00