John G. Pike of Norwich, NY, ca. 1868

Some lucky collector snagged this beauty for $430 today on eBay (item no. 290345302656, eBay seller ecl1pse ( 141) who, I was told, was selling the drum for an elderly gentleman, Ed Thomas of St. Augustine, FL, who collected drums throughout his lifetime. Ed, now 85 years young, is a USMC WWII veteran who retired to Florida from the Philadelphia area where he had a storied musical career, including a start at age 9 in a local drum & bugle corps.

The drum was described as Rosewood and Birdseye Maple, plus:

This is a Civil War era Field Drum. It needs some TLC and will be a great historical addition to your collection. Considering its age, it is in surprisingly good condition. The label inside says " Premium Drums manufactured by John G Pike, Norwich, NY". It has a 16" diameter, is 11 1/2" deep, has a 1 1/" hoop and the shell is 1/8" thick with 3 reinforcing rings. There are several previous owner's dates hand-written inside the drum. The oldest is April 4th, 1868. Actual date of origin is unknown. I am listing this and other vintage pieces for a long-time friend and client who has been a master drummer since 1933, yes 1933.

I had a nice long chat with Ed last week and learned that the other drums in his colletion are set/kit drums and that this was his only civil war era drum.