This ninety year old Eagle just landed on my doorstep yesterday. It's probably the most rare and unusual drum I have ever encountered.

It's a 1920's 12x17 "Triumphal" field drum with gold plated hardware and fancy engraved hoops. What really sets this apart from the rest is that it has hand crafted wood inlay. Prior to this, I have only seen decals or applique that simulated wood inlay. The drum has a bird's eye maple circular inlay as a background, with a "string inlay" as a border. The eagle is made from inlay, as well. The shell is solid mahogany.

Also, I have never seen 24KT engraved gold hoops on a field drum before. That's why I am calling this a Triumphal model for lack of a model name.

This drum is not listed in any catalog, as far as I can tell. This is the first time I have seen a #338 Professional strainer on a field drum. Every one I've encountered had a strainer mechanism.

With little history on this drum, I can only guess its origins. Maybe a special order for a company worker or a "presentation drum". The amount and quality of work that must have gone into the making of this beauty is evident. I don't think anyone even played this drum much, as it shows little wear for a ninety year old. It could use a very light cleaning, but it was pretty clean, right out of the box.

Here is a link to some photos:

http://www.coopersvintagedrums.com/triumphal_marching_drum.htm