The Betts' Violin was bought by Mr. Betts' in his violin store for one Guinea. There is a legend around the purchase which paints a dramatic story line.
THE LEGEND
One foggy night in London, many years ago, a ragged unkempt man shuffled into a little music shop, owned by a Mr. Arthur Betts. Clutched under the man's arm was a violin. "Will you buy this old violin from me?" the man muttered. I'm starving. I need money to buy something to eat." "Well, I already have several violins," Mr. Betts replied. "But I don't want to see you go hungry. Will a guinea ($5.00 at the time) help you out?" "Oh, yes," said the man. "Thank you. Thank you." He took the money and disappeared into the night. Mr. Betts picked up the violin, took the bow and drew it across the strings. The violin gave forth a deep mellow tone. Surprised, Mr. Betts took a light and peered into the inside of the violin. He could hardly believe what he saw. There, carved into the wood were these words: "Antonio Stradivari...1704." Mr. Betts ran out into the street to find the old man, to pay him more for the violin. But he had gone.
THE ACTUAL EVENT
The "Betts" is among the most legendary violins from Stradivari's workshop. Part of that status comes from the circumstances of its acquisition. In about 1820, an individual entered Betts' shop (owned by he and his nephew) at the Royal Exchange in London and offered the violin in its pristine state. A deal was made and the instrument changed hands for the sum of only one guinea. The sellers name was unknown and never discovered. Whoever he was, he didn't know what he had, and accepted Arthur Bett's offer. Betts was a violinist, teacher, and violin dealer. His teacher had been none other than the famous violinist, Giovanni Battista Viotti, who played a 1709 golden period Stradivari violin, so Arthur knew what he was doing. Not surprisingly, the nephew thought the violin should belong to the firm, but Arthur claimed that since he bought it with his own money, (one guinea) it was his. Arthur Betts used the violin for the rest of his career.
Note: The instrument is currently in the collection of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., among the four other Stradivaris in the Cremonese Collection donated by Gertrude Clarke Whittall in 1935.