Vintage “Selmer Depose” cornet produced by the French company Henri SELMER Paris. The word “Déposé” (French for “registered” or “patented”) engraved on it, a term indicating the instrument’s design or patent was officially registered. It is not a specific model name itself but a marking found on various Selmer Paris cornets and other instruments from the mid-20th century. Instrument Details
• Manufacturer: The cornet was made by Henri SELMER Paris, a different entity from the modern Selmer USA (Conn-Selmer) company.
• Vintage: These cornets are typically vintage, with many examples found from the 1950s and 1960s.
• Rarity: Selmer Paris produced far fewer cornets than trumpets, making the cornets relatively rare finds.
• Design: Many of these cornets are in the American style (long cornet) rather than the more common European shepherd’s crook style.
• Tone: These cornets are often described as having a rich, warm tone.
Serial number 924 was likely manufactured between 1933 and 1935. Identifying the exact year for early Selmer Paris brass can be challenging because their official records are sometimes less detailed than their saxophone counterparts. However, based on known production milestones:
Production Start: Henri Selmer Paris began producing their own brass instruments in earnest after acquiring the Millereau factory in 1931.
Early Ranges: Instruments in the triple-digit range (like 924) typically correspond to the first few years of production after the factory acquisition.
Known Benchmarks: By 1933, Selmer began introducing “Armstrong” or “Balanced” models around serial number 500. By 1937, serial numbers had already progressed past 1600.
Manufacturing Details
Markings: The word “Déposé” on your cornet indicates that the design was a “registered” trademark or patent in France.
Historical Significance: Instruments from this 1930s era are highly regarded for their hand-crafted quality and were often used by professional musicians of the time.
