Conn 18A Director (late model)
Date: 1960. Owner unknown, picture by Paul Ayick.
Notice the coprion bell. This is the coprion version of the 14A Director.
The 18A Director is 17" long, and has bottom spring valves, and was built between 1958 and at 1960. Late models 18A closely resemble the 17A in that they have the same valves, valve caps and the straight braces as opposed to the early 18A's diagonal braces. In fact I had this one mistakenly identified as a 17A. It has since been pointed out to me how to tell the difference: the position of the bell brace with respect to the leadpipe finger hook. On the 14A/18A that bell brace is right next to the finger hook. On the 15A/17A the brace is an inch or so towards the bell. The 18A has a #2½ bore, which is 0.484".
What Conn said in 1958:
World's onlylow priced short model cornet with seamless
Coprion bell and Crysteel valves. This cornet has a fine "band sound" that bandmasters want. Anyone will notice
a bigger tone in this very popular cornet that has: Coprion bell, Crysteel valves, Lustre-Conn finish.
Length 17", bell size 5 1/8".