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[US PHONO]

Bruce, How difficult would it be to take the machine out of Poland? When we visited, I got the impression that it was very difficult to remove antiquities because Poland had been pillaged many times in history and authorities were reluctant to give up historical items. Jerry B.

I went through this experience a number of years ago. Luckily I had friends in Poland - will explain why this is necessary in a moment.

A number of forms had to be filled in for the Ministry of Culture, with details of the item and the PRICE. I had bought in a second hand shop a very nice brass horn with art nouveau decorations before being told of the requirement that items made before 1945 required permission to be exported out of Poland. The horn had cost around $35 and was dark brown with age. So I left the horn with friends while the paper-chase was in progress. The ministry also thought, like the vendor that it was junk and approved the export. I forget what it cost to get permission!

current scenario:
Buy machine - try export with no permission - get stopped at the border - loose machine
Buy machine - pay for machine - try get permission - culture ministry sees price - assume that it must be of cultural importance - you have now donated a machine to the Technical Museum.
And where will the machine reside while you are getting permission. The vendor has his money, and may have your machine in "storage" in perpituity if you cannot get permission to export.

Hence the advantage of friends where after purchase the machine could be stored and if worst comes to the worst part of your collection is in Poland!

I think the machine is somewhere between very over restored and a Frankenphone. With one zero less I would be tempted. 14K is very unrealistic.

If it was made for the Czar, it would not be pictured in a general catalog. There were many manufacturers making fancy cases in europe.

[Valecnik]

It could be just overly restored but a legitimate piece. The Russian machines did tend to be extra heavily decorated certainly as compared to the more utilitarian look of their American cousins of the same period.

[tinovanderzwan]

its a repro nice yes but not worth 10,000,- plus!
this is supossed to be a luxurious russian machine probable a russian parlophone witch wasn't related to the european parlophone the label and machines where more like english zonophones
is it a elaborate fake.... there are some clues
1 note the brake next to the case its a brake from a portable
2 the motor its a very heavy swiss type but.. with very new nuts! also the crank is new
3 for an rare machine at this price you would expect a reproducer of the right period

the biggest clue is that all of the parts have never been on the machine there are no screwholes ontop of the case!

i seen an original of this machine sell at christies some years back and it looked a lot better than this one you can see the difference between 100 year old shellac and modern paint

unk russian ornate case and royal horn.jpg (46.07 KiB) Viewed 745 times

5dcd317100118ce75317931d.jpeg (87.63 KiB) Viewed 745 times

tino