Stunning one-owner example of Richelieu Golden Eagle tenor model, from C. C. Richelieu (1909-2003) who first started his company in 1964, purchasing the remnants of the short-lived Strom banjo company, until his retirement in 2001; the firm continued to operate for another decade before shuttering in 2011. This Golden Eagle model tenor, 4001G, features heavy 24K gold plated metal parts, one piece flange, an archtop tonering, flamed maple construction, with a matching resonator; bound on both sides/trimmed with herringbone, with an eagle commanding on the back in marquetry; fully equipped with an adjustable style Oettinger tailpiece, armrest, branded Richelieu pick holder, with roller mute residing in case. The fully bound three piece maple neck has a 23-5/8” scale bound fingerboard, with fancy floral pearl inlay present on the fingerboard, bound peghead overlay, and long bound heel cap; equipped with gold plated geared tuners with ivoroid buttons; the frets have some pitting under the treble strings, but the banjo intonates and plays very well with very little relief..setup with a Jim Farquhar bridge…cosmetic wear present including scratching, slight bubbling around binding in some areas, lines of checking on back of resonator, and light wear/tarnish on some of the plating. Included in sale is original badged TKL hard case.