Selmer Invicta Foreign

[AndreaAndreoli]

Hello!!
Do you know when has been made this trombone? (serial 462) and maybe what is worth?
We found it in a basement... it needs a deep cleaning, but it plays easily.
It works only with his mouthpiece that has a smaller shank than modern small bore.
It's a Geo Bukur New York.
Thank you
ciao

[Doug Elliott]

Info derived from The New Langwill Index:
This is a guess based on the information listed...
1927-1950's, Selmer in the US had relocated to Elkhart (from Boston), and sold Elkhart-made instruments under several names including Selmer USA. The "Foreign" stamp was probably to identify it as NOT made in the US.

I don't see any reference to "Invicta" as a model name, but the name "Invicta" was a Swiss watch company from 1837, so I'm guessing it was European made but maybe not by Selmer Paris or it would have been labeled that way.
--------
As for the mouthpiece maker, who I had not heard of: (I highlighted the interesting part)
https://www.brasshistory.net/Bukur%20History.pdf

George J. Bukur
Cleveland & New York
1893 George John Bukur is born in Cata, Romania on January
12 (WWII draft).
1914 George emigrates to US (census). George Bukur, cornet
maker, #6003 St. Claire Ave NE, Cleveland (directory).
1915 George marries Anna.
1916 George is naturalized in Cleveland; #1556 E. 41st St.
1916-1918 George is not in the Cleveland directory.
1917 Daughter Anna is born in Ohio.
1920 Son George Jr is born in Ohio.
1921 George Bukur, instrument maker, #932 E. 76th St.,
Cleveland (dir).
1920s George teaches Vincent Bach mouthpiece making.
1930 George Bukur, musical inst, #1925 Barnes Ave, Bronx
(census).
c1934 George makes a trumpet mouthpiece for William
Vacchiano with a special backbore given to him by Mr.
Schmidt of Germany (Last Stop, Carnegie Hall, p.32).
(photo 3 is mouthpiece said to have been given to a
student of Vacchiano so possibly the same one)
1935 George is living in the Bronx (census).
1940 #8918 31st Ave, Queens, musical inst. repairman (census).
1942 #8918 31st Ave, Queens, self-employed at #800 8th Ave in
New York (WWII draft).
1959 George is the commander of American Legion post #96 in
Jackson Heights, Queens.
1960 George dies January 20th, buried at St. Michael’s Cemetery
in Jackson Heights (obit.)

[AndreaAndreoli]

Wow!!! Thank you Doug!
Vincent Bach’s Teacher… amazing

[stewbones43]

The Invicta range (trumpet, cornet and tenor trombone) were stencil models sold by Selmer of London, UK. They were made in Eastern Europe, possibly by Amati or Huttl. The Invicta was an intermediate model, the middle brand in a range of 5 and they are shown in a Selmer, London catalogue I have dating from May, 1962. It was originally supplied with a British made Lew Davis mouthpiece.
The quality was student level but not as good as a Conn Director or a Besson Westminster but probably aa step up from a Jinbao. Value, probably around £50/$50

Cheers

Stewbones43

[AndreaAndreoli]

Thank you so much!

[stewbones43]

It looks as if your George Bukur mouthpiece might be more valuable than the trombone it is with

Stewbones43

[AndreaAndreoli]

Yes, Indeed