With thanks to several of the members on this list who assisted me in my research, I'm happy to share my observations. What I find most interesting about "Home" No.902 is that a similar "Home" only eight serial numbers above it sold on eBay last month (11/28/07)! It had virtually all the same characteristics as this one - even some extra holes in the cabinet! As for No.902, it has definitely experienced the attentions of a "restorer."? As noted by others, the pinstripes are too wide, and lack authenticity in form (particularly where it is supposed to curve around the left rear corner of the mandrel) and incorrect corner decorations (I've never seen them below the straight edge before!). All that can be fixed, fortunately, along with the missing speaker clamps and adjusting screw. The motor is most interesting, but based on the single photo provided, few conclusions can be drawn. It's noteworthy that the winding gear is not shown. I suspect that it's no longer there, and the open "barrel" is the concoction of an imaginative repairman - that would help explain the counterclockwise winding. This too can be fixed with readily-available parts, as our friend George Vollema can attest. The good news is that this is an eminently restorable - and very early "Home." It's not the wonder-of-wonders depicted in the eBay write-up, but it doesn't need all that fol-de-rol either. It's No.902 for crying out loud - they don't get too much earlier than that. Someone has written to the seller, correctly dating this example to June 1897. It features a hemispherical weighted half-nut, which has not been found on "Homes" after No.1265 (August 1897).(Conventional half-nuts have been seen on "Homes" as early as No.138, No.158, and No.524.) It still retains its brass mandrel too. The cabinet looks nice - perhaps with a modern top-coat of some sort - and a good woodworker could repair the mysterious holes. Not a bad "project phonograph" at all - and when you're finished, you'll have one of the earliest "Homes" around! George Paul ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com