Longshot here I know, but worth a try:
Several years ago JessieK (D) sold her nickel Copeland C whistle. I am looking for the buyer/current owner. If you are out there and see this message, I would greatly appreciate it if you would contact me via email.
Thanks much!
Loren
You really think the owner would reveal herself to someone flying the Jolly Roger? 
I am dead curious to know why you are hunting JessieK’s old whistle?
This mythical whistle is reputed to be the best whistle ever to appear on the face of the Earth. According to legend, it appeared one day embedded in a boulder in the town square of Conshohocken Pennsylvania.
Whistle players from around the world arrived to try to remove the whistle from the stone, but it stubbornly resisted their efforts until one day Jessie K arrived and simply slipped the whistle out of the rock. Or so the legend goes…
What can I say? I am descendant in the family bloodline of the famous Privateer Sir Francis Drake! (on my mother’s side)
As for the whistle in question: I am the original owner. I bought I directly from Michael Copeland, and later sold it to my dear friend Jessie when I was going through a tough time financially. She kindly offered to sell the whistle back to me before she put it back on the open market, however I couldn’t spare the money at the time.
The whistle meant a lot to me: It was one of my very favorite whistles to play and, for a variety of reasons that I won’t go into, it has a lot of sentimental value to me. So, I would love to have that particular whistle back some day, and I currently find myself with the financial means to perhaps make that happen, should the current owner to see this thread and consider selling.
Not that it’s really anyone else’s business 
but there you go.
Loren
Good stuff there Paul! You know, I actually used to live in Conshohocken, no kidding.
Hey, I am about ready for that shop visit if you’re still up for it. Let me know if/when you might have the time and I will figure out transportation and make my way up there for a visit. We can swap stories about GS and VH. Man I am still kicking myself for not taking the G man up on his offer to visit and learn from him. Glad you did.
Loren
Maybe the beginning of the year, Loren. We no longer have a guest room, it being temporarily taken up with daughter and soon to return (hopefully) son in law. Oh, and they have a wee babe in the works, due late Jan. Come to think of it, a visit might better wait until Spring, if that’s OK. Travel is more dependable then anyway.
No worries Paul, we’ll catch up one of these years,
Loren
[Thread revival. - Mod]
I am still searching for this particular whistle, I know it’s out there. If you are the owner or if you know the person, I would be very grateful if you would contact me. Thanks much.
Loren, I assume you’ve spoken with Jessie and tracked the whistle as far as it can be tracked?
I’m the 5th or 6th owner of my Copeland D, and I was able to trace it all the way back to Michael’s original invoice.
Yes, I tried that first a few years back. It had been a while since Jessie sold the whistle and the sale happened at a time when she was selling off a lot of instruments, so while she was fairly certain she remembered what part of the world the whistle went to, she couldn’t specifically remember the seller or their contact info. Not surprising considering the circumstances and time that had passed. Obviously a bit of a long shot with this post, but the whistle world is small enough that it’s worth a try 
In the event it has moved on from whomever your friend sold it to, a serial number might be your best bet if you have one.
If memory serves me correctly this whistle had no serial number. This is backed up by the fact that Jessie stated in her ad for the whistle that it had no markings other than the standard Copeland stamp, and I believe the key.
I do know that it was sold in mid-April of 2008, possibly to someone in Asia. I doubt it’s been re-sold considering the price, although it’s possible. More likely it would have been traded if it changed hands, but my guess is that the person who bought it from Jessie still has it. If you’re out there, even if you don’t want to part with the whistle, I’d be much obliged if you’d contact me so I can at least put my search to and end. Thanks!
Loren
Hi Loren. Just curious. I always had a lot of problems with Copeland C whistles until I got one in a trade from a board member. It’s nickel silver and early enough to have both no number and no signature Copeland raised walls around the windway, probably circa 1992 or so. Generally, newer Copelands lower than high D have the walls. I assume the one you seek is without the walls as well as without number and is brass? This C is wonderful (if not magical) and a great deal better than some truly horrid C whictles I’d tried, at one time a weak link in the otherwise Copeland magic. Hope all is well.
Philo
Phil! Hey man, hope all is well in your world!
Actually, I believe this one did have the walls. Not certain when it was made as I don’t remember the exact date I bought it from Michael, but I did buy it new, and it would have been late 90’s to early 2000’s. I do know it was made before they made a switch in their manufacturing process to gear up for more quantity though, but that’s all I remember. Yours sounds like a nice one indeed. I’ve heard good things about some of the early 90’s Copelands.
Someone did contact me back when I originally started this thread to tell me they might have had, and then passed on the C whistle I am looking for - said they sold it to Doc Jones at the Irish Flute store. I contacted him but couldn’t track it down as he couldn’t remember who he sold it to as I recall. Still, I don’t think this was actually the other C Copeland whistle that Jesssie had and sold. Confusing because she had 2 nickel C’s that were very good at the same time, however the one I am looking for sold for considerably more and I didn’t get the impression that the person who contacted me, or Doc Jones, paid that much, because it was a lot of money indeed. Plus, like I said, Jessie seemed to remember it going to someone overseas. So, the mystery remains…
I recorded a studio piece in 1997 with a Copeland brass C (pre fipple wall) that I borrowed from a friend. I’ve owned other Copeland whistles, including a brass C that I didn’t like, but this particular whistle was the most amazing one I’ve played. It was responsive, clean, haunting, on pitch, and I know where it is (the owner won’t let it go).
Here’s what I recorded:
http://www.box.com/s/9134dc929878639046a5
Nice Jack. It’s great hearing about (and in this case hearing) these other really nice older Copeland C’s out there. I know they weren’t all killer, but it sounds like Michael made more than a few exceptional ones and I’m guessing they just don’t change hands much. I only parted with mine under very dire circumstances. In addition to tracking down my old C, I’d love to find Copeland D that plays the way my C did, preferably in Nickel. I’ve decided to try the one that Cubitt listed in the for sale section earlier today - has the shamrock and Philadelphia Stamps, so I’m guessing it’s early to mid 90’s? Worth a try I figure.
2 years of searching and still no luck, perhaps one day it will turn up…
In the mean time, if anyone has a really nice sounding/playing Copeland Nickel C they’d be interested in selling, please contact me. I’m particularly partial to the older ones, bonus points if it says Philadelphia on it, since that’s where I’m from. Give me a shout via email if you have one.
Will also consider Nickel Copelands in other keys.
Cheers,
Loren
Here’s one -
A little pricey, but worth a look - in excellent shape:
Did see that one. Tempting, and I’m considering bidding… Would love to find an Eb and C in Nickel though, or an older Nickel D. Never know though, I might get in on the bidding on that ebay D.
I guess you still haven’t landed that brass C you recorded with?
Loren