Fairbanks & Cole “Imperial” 5-string banjo S/N 7663, Circa 1887
This is a later F&C "Imperial" than the other one in my collection, and has both the half-spun rim and extended fingerboard typical of this model. One of the very nice small touches on these banjos is the way the tension hoop wraps over the flesh hoop, thus making the flesh hoop all but invisible.
