Dating A Lachenal From The Serial Number

[Doug Barr]

Thanks

 

[stewbob]

Hi, Does anyone know what date roughly my Lachenal concertina is please? It has a serial/model number of 85842. It's a 31 button model..

Thanks for your help

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by stewbob

[Dowright]

Circa 1885. 

Steel or brass reeds?

[stewbob]

On 7/2/2019 at 4:20 PM, stewbob said:

Hi, Does anyone know what date roughly my Lachenal concertina is please? It has a serial/model number of 85842. It's a 31 button model..

Thanks for your help

 

thanks for the info - 1885 - wow.. 

not sure how i can tell the difference between steel and brass reeds? don't know anything about these instruments.

[MissMindyP]

Hi Dowright

 

I have a Lachenal & Co, Anglo 20 key .........serial number 149300.

 

She has wooden fretwork, bone buttons, and brass reeds.  There is an L stamped on the wood inside.

 

Im wondering if you can give an approximate date. We’ve done some simple maths based on other dates and numbers and think it’s possibly turn of the century?

 

Would value your opinion.

 

Many thanks

Mindy

[Dowright]

Mindy,

Circa 1897.  ("Arch, Davenport" bought No. 144430 in 1896)

,

[MissMindyP]

20 hours ago, Dowright said:

Mindy,

Circa 1897.  ("Arch, Davenport" bought No. 144430 in 1896)

,

Thanks for that  Dowright. I felt a little silly when on opening the other side there was an R stamp obviously for right and left. 

 

But that date fits with what I thought, though a tiny bit earlier. 

 

Fabulous ?. Thanks

Mindy

[nkgibbs]

Dear Dowright,

Could you please tell me what the highest serial number is in the database  for a Lachenal Anglo?

many thanks,

Neil

 

Edited July 17, 2019 by nkgibbs

[saguaro_squeezer]

Dowright,

 

How about a 61button Anglo, S/N 147189?  This one's on eBay but there's a lot of interest in it on this forum.

[Dowright]

 

No.147189 is from circa 1896.

[Seth]

I just picked up a 48 English, metal ends, solid metal keys, 6 fold bellows, and has valves on both sides that I’m told are “bowing valves.”

serial number 33, 598

[MissMindyP]

Hi Dowright,

 

I just bought a new concertina today - another 20 key Lachenal.

 

She has steel reeds which is stamped on the case also and bone buttons.

 

Assuming Lachenal and Co due to number sequence though the label is no longer present unfortunately.

 

Serial number is 100294.

 

Would you have some idea of the date please?

 

Mindy

[Dowright]

Mindy,

No. 100294 was made in  circa 1887.

No. 104739 was sold on 26 April 1888. At the time, Lachenal & Co was making about 5200 Anglos per year (about 17 per day of 310 annual work days).

 

[MissMindyP]

That’s brilliant to know. Thanks so much! I wonder how many people worked in the factory,  and whether they made them on a production line type system?

 

I wonder if they realised when they were popping them out all those years ago we’d be playing and loving them in 2019?

 

Brilliant

 

Mindy

[Seth]

Dowright, any idea on the English I posted on Friday, 4 posts up?  Cheers, Seth 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Seth

[Seth]

On 7/3/2019 at 11:29 AM, stewbob said:

thanks for the info - 1885 - wow.. 

not sure how i can tell the difference between steel and brass reeds? don't know anything about these instruments.

Left- Brass           Right- Steel

 

The reed bodies or shoes are usually brass on both but the tongue is different.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Seth

[Seth]

48 English, metal ends, solid metal keys, 6 fold bellows, and has valves on both sides that I’m told are “bowing valves.”

serial number 33, 598

 

It was likely made in 1895-1896

 

I found a patent sticker inside for the valves?  See photos.

Edited August 6, 2019 by Seth

[Dowright]

SETH,

Good job of your dating of No 33598. My two closest dates are next to each other--32620 (1894) and 32621 (March 1895), Given that they were making about 800 to 1000 per year in the mid-1890s, I will go with circa 1896.