At the recent Kentucky Music Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, James trotted out on stage what was described as 'maybe the second most valuable mandolin in the world'. The picker who was in the group playing some Bill Monroe tunes (sorry, should but can't remember his name) held up a piece of paper and said 'this is in Bill's handwriting'. It read something to the effect that 'this is the last mandolin chorded by Bill Monroe'. Then the guy played a couple of tunes on it for us.

So, on his death bed Bill was strumming a bit, John Hartford talks about him still working on songs as he lay there dying. But it's an interesting question. People certainly would pay to have the last bat Babe Ruth swung, whether or not he hit anything? The last brush used by Picasso? The last violin played by Paganini? But it sure seemed like pretty crass commercialism as well, there was nothing special about the instrument, but it was touched by the master's hands.