gtb, Although this is an often asked question and rather elementary, I'll pitch in here and help since no one has done so yet. To translate the markings for you: The 1914 patent date is for the Haynes drawn tone hole patent developed by the Haynes instrument company originally for flutes, and later used on Saxophones as well. The serial number places this horn's date of manufacture between 1926 and 1927, making this a New Wonder model horn, so far so good. The "A" means it is an Alto model, and now the nasty bit of info..........the "H" unfortunately makes this otherwise fine horn a "High Pitch" model. This came about due to the lack of an established concert pitch in Europe and America well into the 1920s, necessitating the manufacture of both "high pitch" and "low pitch" models/tuning. Since that time, we have settled on the later of the two tunings worldwide, making the high pitch model grossly out of tune with the standard 440 tuning. These High pitch horns are not in demand at all, and are for the most part obsolete. You can play it by your lonesome, but you will be unable to play in tune with any other instruments etc. Conns of this early date didn't have lacquer finishes as an option, and indicates that the horn has been overhauled and lacquered at a later date, after market. Hope this helps, and sorry for the bad news. Michael S.