Chappell Upright numbers

[Samwise Gamgee]

Can anyone help with this one? We have just purchased a second hand upright Chappell. There are two numbers one on the cast iron chassis : 081150 and another number on the inside back near the bottom of the piano 8611170. Both numbers are stencilled ink. The first number was suggest a manufacture date in the 40's. This just can't be so, judging by the shape and appearance of the piano compared to the photos of 2nd hand ones for sale on the web, and also what seems to be modern materials of construction internally. The second number does not correlate as a Chappell serial number. Are we looking in the wrong place for the s/no? Any help gratefully accepted.

[Bill Kibby]

Some old Chappell pianos have numbers which do not correspond to the published ones, quite apart from separate lines like their “Elysian” pianos, which have a coded serial number, the first two digits representing the year.

1877 is the date of #6007, which should be 1860.

#29162 should be 1892, but its action was made by Herrburger Brooks, which puts it after 1920.

#25003 is a 5-octave upright with a wooden frame, obviously victorian, so it may possibly be 1890, as the number suggests.

1899 is the date of #97000, Chappells have a copy of the original invoice.

Unfortunately, there is no standard position for serial numbers, even in one make. They do not, in my experience, begin with a zero, and rarely have more than 6 digits, which is no help to you at all! You seem to have had a good look round, normally the serial number can be seen just by opening the top, the number may be on a top edge. Try datemarks...
http://www.uk-piano.org/piano-gen/datem ... ianos.html

See also the Reports page there.