I’m sending this out to Larry but any input would be appreciated. I ran across what appears to be a really old mandolin in a pawn shop, what really got my attention though was its unusual shape. I’ve seen ‘a’ and ‘f’ styles and also the bowl backs, but I’d never seen one like this. On the inside I could see a sicker that said A. Galiano and then something else in Italian. 
Sorry the only language I speak is English and that I do poorly. 
I tried to do a little research and could only find mandolins similar but not really dead on. It seems to have some connection with Oscar Schmidt in latter years but not a lot about earlier. any thoughts? thanks!
Unusual old mandolin
You didn’t happen to get a pic of it did you?
I’d help you if I could, Mark, but my mandolin knowledge is kind of sketchy. I’m sure we’ve got some folks around here who know more than me. A quick internet search for “A. Galiano” pulled up some peculiar mandolins, but I’m with Bulldog, a picture would help a lot in trying to identify yours.
i’ll have to go back to that pawn shop tomorrow and get a couple of pictures of it and i’ll post them as soon as I get back here.
Nice link. I knew someone would come up with a good answer.
When I saw the following listing at Gruhn’s I remembered this thread:
MF7964 A. Galiano brand bowlback early 1900s EXF, made by Raphael Ciani (John D’Angelico’s uncle under whom D’Angelico apprenticed), Brazilian rosewood ribs, spruce top, SC $900
gruhn.com/photo/MF7964.jpg
So… did you buy it. 
No bowlback for me. I have been informed that I have once again exceeded my allotted number of stringed instruments.