In my opinion and not fact.  I believe that all associated with the
current Florida collection came after many of the machines were
acquired.  The Coinola and Seeburg H were already there.

I know for a fact that there was one CO Coinola that was built up
from new parts, and some original parts, that was actually a Reproduco
converted to a CO by Dana Johnson and Noel Burndahl.  Now since the
original piano left the factory as a Reproduco and became a CO some
years later, then, yes, it is original Coinola (Operators Piano Co.),
but not an original antique Coinola CO.

There are many reproductions made that are impossible to tell from an
original unless you know the restorers or history of the piano.  On
page 543 of the Bowers Encyclopedia they mention knowing the serial
numbers of all known CO's and SO's.  All original CO and SO Coinolas
known to collectors in the early 1970's had serial numbers in the
300,000 range.  That tidbit of information is on Bowers page 548.

There were seven Coinola original CO's and four SO's known to
collectors in the United States in the 1970's.  Two of the original
CO's are in a well known collection in the US sitting side-by-side,
and it is interesting that both have different art glass but are
basically the same.  The cases for the known CO's also differ.  Some
have straight sides from front to back, and one has a stepped side
front to back.

Again my opinion about the originality of the Coinola CO in the
upcoming auction is just my opinion and not based on any fact should
there my any happy lawyers looking for work.

Don Teach
dat-smc@juno.com