Pierce Interpretation...

[David ilvedson]

Jim & List, 

In Jim's example I would understand to mean that in 1840 the 
first piano was #1 (obviously).  Between 1840 and 1845 1200 
pianos were built or 1199 to be exact.  In 1845 they began the 
1200th piano.  So I would estimate that 240 pianos a year 
were produced and use that for my age determination.  I 
wouldn't make very good business sense to make one piano 
the first year would it?  

It seems pretty clear to me even if I do live in a fog bank...

David Ilvedson, RPT

From:           	JIMRPT@AOL.COM
Date sent:      	Tue, 30 Mar 1999 11:47:02 EST
To:             	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject:        	Re:  Re: Pierce Interpretation...
Send reply to:  	pianotech@ptg.org

> 
> In a message dated 3/30/99 11:25:13 AM, you wrote:
> 
> <<Jay,
> 
> I have always thought that the 21400 was the first piano built in 1907 and
> that 24100 was the first piano built in 1908.
> 
> Tom>>
> 
> Jay, Tom;
>  Just the thing to clear the cobwebs and quit working for a minute :-)
> I had this same question and used the name of "Bord" as my reasoning as far as
> the atlas goes.
>  The 9th edition lists Bord (by Pleyel) as being founded in 1840, it also
> lists the serial No. 1, in 1840, the next listing is for 1845 where the serial
> number rises to No. 1200.  Now I took/take  this to mean that "Bord" produced
> one piano in 1840, so that was the last piano produced that year...right? If
> that reasoning is correct than serial No. 1200 was the last piano produced in
> 1845....right? 
> 
>    So far, so good......but do the serial numbers reflect actual "units"
> produced or just assigned serial numbers........ in other words if a unit is
> destroyed in production, or is found to be totally unsuitable for sale, does
> the serial number just switch to another unit? Or is that number just skipped
> over?  The plot thickens and I have no answer :-)
> Jim Bryant (FL)
> 


David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA
ilvey@jps.net