W.A. COLE 5 STRING BANJO circa 1895

Description

W. A. Cole Eclipse  5 String Banjo (c.1895), made in Boston, Mass., mahogany neck with beautifully inlaid ebony fingerboard. There is no obvious serial number.
This beautiful banjo has an inlaid head-stock which is carved on the sides. The mahogany neck ends in a beautifully carved heel. These are generally considered to be one of the finest 5-string open back banjos ever made, and this one appears to be completely original.
Overall length is 36 in., 10 3/8 in. diameter head, and 2 3/8 in. in depth, measured at side of rim. Width of nut is 1 1/4 in.
With the exception of some missing inlay (there is quite a bit missing) the banjo appears to be completely intact and original including the tailpiece.  All 28 hooks and nuts intact, however, the ball at the bottom of one of the nuts has come off. There is a 1 3/4 inch long hairline crack near the top of the heel otherwise the banjo is in very good condition!
The banjo comes with a homemade plywood case.
As with all my Ebay items I am starting this auction at .99 with NO RESERVE!
On Aug-31-22 at 12:13:42 PDT, seller added the following information:
THE SERIAL NUMBER IS 2472