According to one of our contributors, SAXTEK, there were a couple of different versions of this horn, in addition to the variety of different engraving choices available:

"Keep looking for Modele 22 photos showing an alto sax with no side Bb key! These are the first Modele 22's and perhaps the first Selmer saxes. The side Bb lever is connected to the Bb key in the top (left hand) stack of keys -- the key with the small pearl. When at rest, the side Bb touchpiece is depressed (in the down position). When the A key (left middle finger) is depressed, the side Bb touchpiece rises to a position even with the side C and high E touchpieces, just like on all other saxes. Then, when the side Bb key is pressed to the down position again, it raises the stack Bb pad -- the one with the small pearl. This is all accomplished with a complex double spring arrangement, much like the G# key on most saxes. I've always wanted one of these early Selmers because of this key. I finally got an example of the odd key (no side Bb tone hole) on my Adolphe Sax, Jr. [horns maufactured by Antoine-Joseph's son, Adolphe-Edouard Sax] baritone, made at Selmer. I've never found an adequate explanation for this Bb arrangement. Although the earliest saxes had no side Bb (they had a closed Bb in the upper stack), the side Bb had appeared on Adolphe Sax, Jr. saxes made before the factory was sold to Selmer. When I was restoring the Adolphe Sax, Jr./Selmer baritone, I took some good photos of this key arrangement, so someday I will be able to clarify what I'm talking about, but the most common examples of the 'no side Bb' horns are early Modele 22's. You can spot them a mile away - no side Bb tonehole, no side Bb key.

"By the way, some of the Modele 22's with the side Bb tonehole were made before the ones without that tonehole!"

I have also heard that there were a small amount of 22's, 26's, Balanced and Mark VII altos produced with low A keys, in addition to the famous Mark VI low A alto. I'd love to find a pic ...

The rarest Selmers from the Modele 22/26 period are the C melody and curved Bb soprano horns (and the possible straight C soprano). I've been bothering Paul Lindemeyer to send in some pics of his C melody and I hve a committment from the folks at centrostudimusicali for a few pictures of theirs (see below). I have seen a curved Modele 22 soprano in the May/June 1989 edition of the Saxophone Journal in Paul Cohen's "Vintage Saxophones Revisited" article (p. 9).

Recently, I've found a couple exceptionally early Modele 22's that have no rollers, range only to low B and a double-octave key that look rather similar to the Adolphe-Edward horns. I've included those below. I'm not quite sure why Selmer went to this design, as they had a prototype that was far more advanced and even the Conn stencils with the Selmer name were much better horns.

Also note that the gold plated horns generally had elaborate engraving, unlike that of its lacquer or silver brethren.

Oh. One final comment: I believe all the horns from the 22 to the Super are way overvalued. If you're looking for a good playing horn, the Bueschers from about the same era provide a much more advanced horn for the buck. Especially considering I've seen gold-plate Bueschers sell on eBay for less than half of a beat-up 22. The Conn Wonder/New Wonder Artist horns -- which even I, a Conn-detractor, wouldn't mind paying to get -- go for less and they're much more elaborate horns.