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A violin with Stradivarius name not authentic
Dear Helaine and Joe:
My mother’s father found this violin while cleaning out a house in 1961. Inside the violin, there is a label that reads “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 1716″ followed by a symbol. I would like to know the value and whether it is authentic.
Thank you, B. P., Melrose, Ill.
Dear B. P.:
Even though no one is sure of the exact month and day, Antonio Stradivari is said to have been born in 1644. Some believe he might have learned his craft from Nicolo Amanti, but again, no one is sure and this detail is hotly contested.
In any event, Stradivari set up his own shop in 1680 in the town of Cremona, Italy, as a “luthier” – or maker of stringed instruments. We tend to think of Stradivari as being a maker of violins, but he also created cellos, violas, guitars, mandolins, and there is even one extant example of a small harp (he is said to have made three).
His earlier instruments (made from 1680 to 1700) are thought to be inferior to his later pieces, and the so-called “Golden Age” of Stradivari-made stringed instruments is said to be from 1700 to 1720 (he died on Dec. 18, 1737). Stradivari used spruce, willow, and maple to make his pieces and he treated the wood with a variety of minerals including “bianca,” which is a varnish composed of egg white, gum Arabic, and honey.
Over the years since the master made them, these instruments have developed so that they produce a superior tone that many have tried to emulate.
Because of this superior tone and workmanship, musicians want to own a Stradivarius and they are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for examples made before 1700 and millions for those made during the 1700 to 1720 golden age.
In 2006, a Stradivarius (the Latinized form of Stradivari’s surname) known as “The Hammer,” which was made in 1707, sold at auction for $3,544,000. It is reported that other Stradivarius instruments have sold privately for more.
Okay, what are the chances of B. P.’s violin being an authentic “Stradivarius?” worth big bucks? The answer is simple — absolutely none whatsoever. This is a Stradivarius model violin that was probably made in Germany at the turn of the 20th century or even a bit later.
Violins such as this one were largely made for students to learn on, and besides the models with Stradivarius labels there are other examples that are named after famous early violin makers and have spurious paper labels with those names inside the body. These instruments are very common. In our first appraisal clinic many years ago, we saw 18 of these in one day in a small, rural Southern city.
There was a time when all genuine Stradivarius instruments were accounted for, but now we see that a few of them have been stolen and their whereabouts are currently unknown. So care should be taken if offered a violin with a Stradivarius label — it is either a fake, or if it is genuine, it might very well have been stolen.
The value of “Stradivarius model” violins such as the one owned by B. P. is generally in the vicinity of $300 or less if they are in relatively poor condition. The value can approach and slightly exceed $1,000 if the violin in question is in tiptop shape and can be played in a serious orchestra.
By HELAINE FENDELMAN and JOE ROSSON
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of the “Price It Yourself” (HarperResource, $19.95)
Topics: violin | 29 Comments »
June 21st, 2008 at 10:52 am
My father found an old violin in our attic in the 1950, it reads spelled wrong, CREMON STRAOUARIUS Made in Germany GES GESCH Trade mark Registered Marca REGIST RADA Please help me.Id like to know if its worth anything.
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Most probably this is the violin made in Germany as the label indicates. A mark GES GESCH used on some German products to indicate the design is registered or patented. Ges.Gesch is short for “Gesetzlich Geschützt” which translates “legally protected”…as in the design is protected by law, or as some prefer…”patent pending”. Stradivari normally used a printed label that said: “Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis; Faciebat Anno 17__” and has a circular logo device with a cross and the initials AS. The text on this label is in Latin which means “Antonio Stradivari, Cremona (the city he worked in), Made in the Year 17__.” The last two digits of the year were written by hand in pencil or ink. This is the most commonly copied label of all, appearing on untold thousands of shoddy to fair-quality instruments.
The violin is the tool for making music and should be judged (my opinion) from how good it does its job. But the big “BUT” is that the ability to use and produce music differs among musicians. The violin can be perfect for beginner provided it is in good order and has everything in place but may not satisfy advanced player. Usually the violins made in Germany are made in high standard of workmanship. The prices vary in different countries. Please, ask for the price at the local dealer shop.
Birute Kulvis
August 25th, 2008 at 8:11 am
Dear sir; We found this old violin in an atic. It says Gapfretzschner,Markneukirchen Nach Antonius Staduarius Cremonae Faciebat Anne 1716
made in German. Can you tell us if it is worth anything . If you have ant info on this at all ? We would love to know something about it.
Thank you so much
Annie Rose
October 15th, 2009 at 8:55 am
i have a violin that is spelled antonius stradivarius cremonenfis no8 faciebat anno17 .its in really good shape and i was wondering if you can tell me anything about it and its worth. thank you , evelyn wallo
November 8th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Tengo un violin en casa. en su interior dice Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 1716. la leyenda cuenta con dos logos a sus costados: uno con un gallo que dice trade mark y otro que es un circulo con una A y una S y una cruz.
el violin no esta en buenas codiciones, nunca fue tocado por mi familia. tiene solo una cuerda y 3 clavijas, le falta una. los bordes estan muy deteriorados. en la parte de atras del violin tambien esta el sello de trade mark. Por favor contesteme lo antes posible.
desde ya muchas gracias
Romina Carnevale
March 8th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
I have a violin that I inherited when my dad died.
My dad was born in 1902 and this fiddle was give to him from his grandpa in 1910. His grandpa got it from his dad that was born in the late 1700′s. It has the same label Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 1716 and the 16 is hand written. I can’t find any pictures of a known original Strad but of all the copies I have looked at ( thousands of them ) I can’t find a one of them that the back side of the scroll looks like my dads. The back side of the scroll is hand carved like the fancy carving on a lot of the buildings in Rome. I was just wondering if this carving that I have not seen on any other copy means anything. It has been in my family over 200 years that I know of.
Thanks Gary Holmes
March 25th, 2010 at 3:19 am
Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno labelled violins are supposed to be authentic but there are few duplications also….
March 25th, 2010 at 3:22 am
I have a violin which had been embossed “GRAND CONCERT VIOLIN STRADIVARIUS” on the back side of the scroll.Is this genuine??
July 14th, 2010 at 5:07 am
Hi
I am a violins expert, collector and researcher. I have studied for long time and had done numerous of researches and spoke with a lot of people who really believed they had an original antoni stradivari violin.I also had the opportunity because of my profession to come across few of the genuine ones and to be able to examine them up close. With good lighting and at least 50-60 pictures from a 14 megapixel camera and every angle possible i believe i can tell you if theres any hope into it, if its worth the trouble of getting it for you into the procedure of identification. As you know the identification fees are expensive so before you decide to send it for any scientific analysis make sure its worth it. violin_expert@hotmail.com if i can be of any help.
February 11th, 2011 at 8:30 am
Hello – I have been researching all day, and not finding a match. My mother has her father’s ( my grandfather’s ) violin that was brought over from Finland at the beginning of the century. It has a label “Antonius Stradiuarius Cremonenti Facetie Anno 1727″. I can not find anything posted or listed with this marking. I have no expectations, but would like to find out why this label is unique.
Thank you.
March 15th, 2011 at 3:41 pm
TENGO UN VIOLIN QUE DICE ANTONIUS STRADIVARIUS CREMONENSIS FACIEBAT 1713 SEGUIDO DE UN CIRCULO CON UNA CRUZ Y LAS INICIALES A S DEBAJO,MI ABUELO LO TRAJO DE EUROPA EN 1927,TENIA EN ESE ENTOCES 24 ANOS DE EDAD, Y ERA DE SU ABUELO,COMO PUEDO HACER PARA SABER SU AUTENTICIDAD Y SU VALOR REAL,SU ESTADO ES BASTANTE BUENO, FALTA RESTURACION Y TIENE SU CAJA DE MADERA ORIGINAL.
ES UN REGALO QUE ME HIZO EN 1986 Y EL FALLECIÓ EN 1988 A LOS 85 ANOS.DESDE YA MUCHAS GRACIAS ESPERO SU RESPUESTA
March 20th, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Hi
I have some good quality photo’s of a violin label dated 17/ 6 antonius stradivarius with the a s cross and circle device, I’m pretty dubious of it’s origin, but as it came into my friends mums posession about 1900 I’m not sure, and the varnish would have to be very good to withstand the rigors of time, the type set is interesting, as some of the letters arn’t the same, they seem to not be made in a lead mould, I can send the pics if you email me.
oh yes the varnish is very brittle, and the spruce grain at the wings on the top plate is about 3 mm
Kim
April 21st, 2011 at 8:28 am
i have a violin. the paper that is says. Stradivarius Stradivarius 1644 all on thin stips of paper.
April 21st, 2011 at 3:36 pm
i found this old violin in the attack of an old house i owned it does have an orngish colored tag inside stating model Antonius Stradivarius Cremonenfis under this is Faciebat Anno 17 looks old violin is in good shape missing bow is inside an old cracked up case i would love to know what it is worth and or if it is a real stradavarius and if not what is it worth even being a possible coppy
May 7th, 2011 at 2:26 am
Hi I have a Violin , can you maybe tell me if i can see if it is original, the name is antonius Strdivarius creonenfis
faciebat anno
1720
made in germany
June 13th, 2011 at 7:16 am
tenho um violino stradivarius datado de 1719, tenho fotos legiveis. interessa ve-las…
July 3rd, 2011 at 4:43 am
I inherited a “Concert Violin Stradvari” from my Dad after he passed away in 2008. It’s in fair shape, has a bow and one tuning key is broken. The words “Concert Violin Stradvari” are engraved on the backside of the scroll in what I can only describe as an “Engravers MT” font type lettering.
I do know my father said his mother gave the violin to him before she passed away. I have no idea how she came upon the violin and I never had the opportunity to meet my grandmother.
I’m just curious as to whether it might be authentic and if so, what’s the value range of the instrument. It would take some repairs to make it useable again.
Thanks,
Dennis
July 3rd, 2011 at 11:29 am
My grandfather gave my mother a violin that has the label inside with the following:
Antonius Stradivarius Cremonenfis Faciebat Anno 17 My mother always thought it was the real thing but according to limited research could it be or just a copy? Not sure how or where to get it appraised. Any knowledge regarding this label or suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks for you time and hopefully hear from you
July 31st, 2011 at 5:26 am
I have a violin with the following information inside of it. Antonius Stradiuarius 1721 Cremonefis round globe stamp Faciebat.
Could you tell me about this information since I know little about Stradiuarious violins. Thank you
August 7th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
I have an exact copy of the Monarch violin by Bertolotte Gasparo Da Salo (anno 1564 1565.) The back is wild cherry, the front is pine made by T.R. Carriker, Lamar, Co.
I would like to sale it, but don’t know the real value of it. I paid $350.00 for it. Made in 1980.# 1595. Can you help me. I can’t find any info. on it. Thank You, God Bless!
August 14th, 2011 at 7:19 am
I purchased old violin at a yard sale it is in a wooden oak darkened varnish hooks and lok handle the inside is wallpaper ….the violin is antonius stradivarus cremonenfis fattiebat anno 17
it looks like model 1 and it was made in usa it must be a fake but i wondered about its value and it also has the wand which has motherof pearl
look forward to your comment thanks faye
September 2nd, 2011 at 6:23 am
My label reads Antonius Stradiuarius Ceremonius
Faciebat Anno 17 unable to see any writing, after number as is old. I can not find any labels on the net to determine if it is an original.
any suggestions?
September 2nd, 2011 at 11:43 am
sono in possesso di un violino antonius stradivarius del 1713 e sarei intenzionato a venderlo voglio che mi contattate al 3339919141
October 18th, 2011 at 10:12 am
I have come across an antonius stradiuarius cremonenfis(not really an f but it you take out the stroke and it curves over the i)faciebat annos 1736 and has a symbol of somewhat of a circle with kind of a cross and it looks like a s at the bottom of the somewhat cross. Its hard to see the number after the 7 so I thought it was #17 and then a 6 which I didn’t know what that stood for.Could you tell me if this is a real antonius or a knock off. I do not see where it is made anywhere or am I not looking in the right spot? I’m not very good at the computer so if you can respond to my email i will at least find your answer.It is spelt stradiuarius not with a “v” tks donna
October 23rd, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Just recently my Mother has passed away and while packing up her house I came across an old violin. My Mother often spoke of her Father, who played the violin that she had. The violin has seen some rough times because it is nothing but a shell. The fret board, the tail piece, chin rest, sound post and two of the tuning pegs are missing. Inside of the body of the instrument it has a label it reads: Antonius Stradivarius Cremonenna Facieba Anno 1716 followed by a symbol. Just wondering if possibly this could be real or is it just a fake? Anyone who may be reading this could give me any answer could email me at greggbowers@yahoo.com.
October 24th, 2011 at 8:23 am
Hola tengo un violin 4/4 que en su interior dice M. honhey Antonius estradivarius y tiene un escudo con una luna en su interior.
quisiera saber si se trata de una imitacion y si vale la pena venderlo. el violin esta en muy buenas condiciones.
October 30th, 2011 at 3:14 pm
My grandparents were on a ship to the u.s. in the 1930′s from germany. They brought with them numerous items including a 1924 straty. The uniqueness of thid violin is, it has a flower on the top lower part. It looks like it has black hills gold in it. The flower is kind of big. Can you tell me any info on this and maybe the value?
December 30th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Hello,I have been given a violin from an old Polish man who said he bought it in a secondhand shop in London just after the war.The lable inside has “Antonius Stradivarius Cremonsis,Faciehat Anno 1713. At the bottom of the lable it has “made in Czechoslovakia” Is it worth restoring?
January 30th, 2012 at 11:55 pm
Hi I have a violin that I purchases at an estate sale. It has a label that says Antonio Stradiuaris Cremona Faciobat: 1635. ?? If he was born in 1644 then this instrument would undoubtedly be a fake. My concern is that the way it is put together suggests that it is very old. The strip of would used to outline or bind the face is real and not something printed or glued on. Any thoughts about this?