Zildjian 20″ Avedis “1954” Ride Cymbal – 2020g

This is a delightful A. Zildjian that appears to have the fabled “1954” Stamp, which was initially thought to have been a momentary phase of a ’60s-style stamp in 1954. It is now more widely conjectured that these few-and-far-between cymbals were actually early ’50s (“Transition Stamp”) vault cymbals that were pulled out sometime in the ’60s and stamped with the current die. Heavy patina, tape residue underneath, and there are 5-6 small cracks radiating from the mounting hole, which should be monitored and may well remain very stable for a long time. All that said, it’s a delightful cymbal with a contained curiosity and a little bit of complexity.