Conn 112B Coprion with heavy brass bell
Date: 1942. Instrument owned by a Florida middle school
Here is a very rare instrument: a 112B. As far as I can deduce, the history of this model goes something like this. By 1942, world war 2 had started and copper was a critical war material, not available anymore for commercial use. That meant that Conn couldn't produce instruments with a Coprion bell, the models 12A, 12B and 12H. In the cornet section is a model 112A, which has a brass bell. The instrument above is a 112B, silver plated as you can see. I included a picture of the model number stamp under the leadpipe to prove it is in fact a 112B and not a silverplated 22B. So this instrument almost certainly has a brass bell in stead of a Coprion bell. However, a 12B with a brass bell would be a 22B, right? Well, the bell on the 112B, and the owner of the 112A confirms this, is heavier than a normal brass bell. The 112B has been weighed at 2 lbs. 12 oz. That makes it the same weight as a 38B Connstellation. So essentially the 112B is a 22B with a heavy weight bell.
The 112B is an extremely rare instrument. So far (February 2009) I am aware of three them, although I suspect Conn made at least several of them in 1942. It is in very nice condition. It is owned by a Florida middle school, fortunately in the care of the assistant director who plays the trumpet. The 112B would have been produced only during the first few months of 1942, because Conn switched to war production in August of 1942. Other than the heavy brass bell the specifications are the same as the 12B or the 22B: #1 (0.438" bore).