Our local Civil War museum (Ft. Wright, KY) has some harmonica reed plates and covers that they found while excavating around the old fortifications. However, a private owner added a lot of fill from a dump over the years before the site was preserved, so the harp parts may not date from the war. Does anyone know how to ID a very early instrument, as opposed to one a bit newer? At least one of the plates appears to be a 12-hole, double-reeded. When were these invented? Any reference books or old collections that anyone knows of? Thanks for the help. -- Tom