At 11:30 4/19/2005, you wrote: >HI, >I'm looking for the age of an ARMSTRONG Upright early last century. This >piano was purchased in the approx 1914 second-hand. Its number marked on >the plate [in marker ]is 16056. By the Pierce Atlas this number is bogus >or am I not reading the numbers in the Atlas correctly.Would anyone have >any ideas on this make of piano number series? >Would like to know for a customer. >Regards >George The company was founded in1884, as you see, and Pierce starts the listing at 1900 w/43000. Are you SURE it is 20th cent and not late 19th? Full plate? 3/4 plate? Try interpolating from a starting number like 1000 or 10,000 or, if you work back using their apparent output rate of 2000/year that would make #16056 made about 1886. Probably later as they likely weren't up to that production speed right off the bat. If you can't find a reasonable sequence serial number anywhere like soundboard (front or back) or inside case sides, there might be a decipherable casting date on the plate. There also might be a penciled date on the back of one of the action rails (they were proud of their work in those days). I know the practice has been decried on this list, but an early tuner might have left a date. All of these would be hints. Happy hunting! Conrad Hoffsommer Decorah, IA My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely. It's gone right now and didn't leave a forwarding address.
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