gramophone-georg wrote:Noodling around on Google looking at pics of Monarchs and other HMV machines, there are just enough of them that show up with what look like black painted brackets that I'd really hesitate calling this one inauthentic. There seem to be a wild array of filligree designs, too. Don't forget- German market and other Euro market HMV machines really seem to have a lot of variants. It's possible this one was for export, which *might* explain the Plain Jane filligree.
I think the real preliminary test is what Jerry B. says. If the needle doesn't touch the spindle or right close to it, the back bracket is a definite swap. If it lines up with the spindle like it should, I'd leave it as- is (but get the correct fasteners!) and do a lot of looking and research. Even if you decide to go with a different "more authentic" back bracket, I'd keep this one with the machine because with HMVs and other Euro machines... you just never know.
I have found that this is a correct HMV bracket, and everything lines up perfectly. I suspect the repaint because the gold striping is wavy in places, as if it were applied by an amateur. The bolts have knurled heads, they're not plain, so I am wondering if they were a variant at one point, but most other HMV machines seem to have the Victor type bolt. Anyone's guess!