Hmmm…

[windshieldbug]

104878 is 1917-1921; see

http://www.horn-u-copia.net/Bessonlist.html

[Rick Denney]

I bought a Besson "Prototype" last summer (from a guitar store!) and was told it was made around the 60s; it's apparently much older.

The serial number is 104878, with the number 16 below it; seems to me it might be from the early 20th century.

A lot of the Bessons of that era were called prototypes. I've had one pass through my hands (a mid-20's vintage 3-valve enharmonic compensator) that seemed to live up to the name: Some of the tubing seemed to be made of copper. I've seen very many Bessons sold on ebay with that designation.

Rick "hehehehe...he said 'ebay'" Denney

[windshieldbug]

The "Prototype" is the term that they used to call their manufacturing process... the French-made Bessons had their bells stamped "Systeme Prototype".

This practice started in 1886.