The production date of this charming specimen has often been the subject of dispute. The violin bears an original label that states ‘Antonius Stradivarius Cremonensis Faciebat Anno 17--’, of which the last two digits are obscure. A first official date of production for the instrument was advanced by the violin maker Charles-Eugène Gand as being 1690, but afterwards his colleague Emil Herrmann noted that the year on the label was probably 1698. Nowadays a date of c.1700 is generally accepted.
More information: Antonio Stradivari Set 1, Volume 2, Page 116