Pre-1900 Bugle?

[turmanator]

1st, a (not so) quick intro to how I came upon this bugle.

My dad was born in Houston in 1930. My granpa was a carpenter/construction worker (he was 5' 2")

and they moved to Del Rio. He helped build the 1944 Pecos High Bridge. Prior to that during the depression

they fished for the big channel catfish in the river and sold them. They moved to Globe AZ during the late part of the war

so my gpa could work in what was left of the copper mines for ammo and stuff. Anyways, my dad found this in the desert out there

while they lived there. They also found and indian skeleton in a cave they gave to a museum.

Anyways, the bell is smashed from age and also from my youger brother pounding it on the floor to get the thumbscrew out in about

1968! It seems to be a Cavalry type bugle? It has a patina but I know I brassoed it as a kid, so not an old patina. it's 10'' long 5" high.

Any thoughts? By the way, my dad ended up joinign the USMC and going to Korea in 1952. Then he was a LA cop during Watts

[tsakers85]

It is a cavalry bugle but my understanding is they're nearly impossible to date. I'm probably wrong about that but they are widely reproduced.