Gypsy: Thank you for your suggestions. The banjo is being cleaned, getting a new drum and some new strings. The man doing the work is going to get the information you mention while he has the instrument apart (It's been sitting in various basements for decades, and though the case smells a little musty, the banjo itself seems none the worse for having not seen the light of day all those years). The fellow cleaning it advised me to hold on to it; he thought it was a collector's item, though until he had the serial number, etc., he couldn't put a value on it. Of course, as a gift from my father-in-law, it will stay in the family; I'm not thinking of selling it. Right now I'm planning to learn it. Sorry for the delay getting back to you; I'm correcting essays and getting ready to write grade reports ... . All else stops until they are finished. Thanks again, Sue