Simon piano

[rescott]

My daughter has just bought an upright piano made by G. Simon, Stuttgart (1891?). It has a Lipp system and a possible serial number of 2437. Does anyone know anything about these pianos?

[Bill Kibby]

This may be an alias used on pianos imported by Palings, Australia from German wholesalers. Every example I have come across has been supplied by Palings. I don't know what they meant by a "Lipp system", although we have several references to this. How did you arrive at 1891?

[rescott]

I got the date wrong - it is actually 1881 and appears on the front of the piano next to Stuttgart as well as on a little plaque inside the piano after the word Praemart. 'G. Simon, Stuttgart' is on the front of the piano in gold lettering and also on the inside cast into the metal frame.

[Bill Kibby]

The 1881 reference on Simon pianos is not explained, it may be when they were established, but it is more likely that it refers to a medal received at a Stuttgart exhibition. Either way, the piano was made after that date, and the date of a piano this modern is hardly ever put onto it in such a simple, visible way, in fact I can't recall one single example.

[mick747]

Richard "Lipp" and Sons, i also have one of these g.simon Stuttgart pianos with 1881 written on it which refers to the 1881 stuttgart expedition as i've been told where they won a medal apparently and my piano has the medals from the exhibition embedded into the piano itself.. as you can see per attached pics, no idea on value but the gold medals from the exhibition i've been told by a guy from coinquest who is familiar with the medals that the gold medals are worth 3400us silver 250us and bronze 150us

[Bill Kibby]

It shows a medal for 1881, so it must have been made after that event. It looks typical of the 1890s, as shown at
http://www.pianohistory.info/edwardian.html
The most likely way to date an old German piano is to get your tuner to remove the action (the working parts of the notes) and look to see if it is marked on the back with the action makers' name and number.