An extremely early Lachenal 20 key anglo no 7435 which is probably late 1860’s or early 1870’s.
It has mahogany ends, bone buttons, brass reeds and 5 fold green leather bellows.
It has new pads, valves, straps and is tuned to concert pitch.
I usually don’t buy very early concertinas-probably because they are usually in extremely fragile condition and are not top players. This one however is an almost mint version from the earliest period-which you rarely see -and it is in fully playable condition.
It has the numbered bone buttons and a minimum of fretwork which identifies the early models but it is all working, looks lovely for an instrument probably 150 years old-and it plays-quite well in fact-certainly as well as any later period brass reeded 20 key.
I am sure that there is someone out there who would love a playing, historical concertina. This is not far from the American Civil War era and would certainly be authentic for a re-enactor of the Civil or the Crimean War.
