Alexander Model 103 copy (E. Germany, 1960s)
This is the knock-off (after reconditioning) that I found in the Ardmore, PA, pawnshop in 1976. Although not a genuine Alexander, it is still a beautiful instrument. I inquired about it at the Alexander workshop in Mainz, but they claimed (unconvincingly) not to know anything. I strongly suspect that after the partitioning of Germany, one or more craftsmen from the West German factory defected to East Germany and set up another to supply horns behind the iron curtain, possibly even with equipment taken from Mainz. This is only speculation, of course, but it is supported by the absolute faithfulness of the copy. The slides on the Bb side are even interchangeable with my 107. It should be pointed out that this is not a case of counterfeit goods, since there is no forged seal or other explicit misrepresentation involved.
