# Low Serial Number?



## indianaderrick (Aug 11, 2016)

Fd0798 is the number on my 1968 Apple Krate.  Is this considered a low serial number? Does it add to the value? Thanks i am new to the bike collecting thing 

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## rhenning (Aug 11, 2016)

Serial numbers have no real reference to the actual build sequence.  The FD gives the date the frame was built but it could have become a bike later than that.  Some times years later.  The numbers on bikes are not like the numbers on cars and trucks that mean something.  You can look up the frames build date under Schwinn Serial Numbers at the top of this section.  Roger

FD means June of 1968 and that is all you can get from the number.  Roger


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## indianaderrick (Aug 11, 2016)

Thanks. I would have never guessed!

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## GTs58 (Aug 11, 2016)

rhenning said:


> Serial numbers have no real reference to the actual build sequence.  The FD gives the date the frame was built but it could have become a bike later than that.  Some times years later.  The numbers on bikes are not like the numbers on cars and trucks that mean something.  You can look up the frames build date under Schwinn Serial Numbers at the top of this section.  Roger
> 
> FD means June of 1968 and that is all you can get from the number.  Roger




That's not quite accurate information Roger. The serial number date is not the build date of the frames. It's the date the serial number was stamped on the bikes frame component such as the bottom bracket shell, rear drop out and head tube. Sometime after the stamping the part was used to build a frame and one can only guess when the serial number stamped piece was actually used to build a frame. A serial number is used for identification and it's not a VIN that tells you the build date or any other information.

Read this Reporter that Metacortex has supplied here on this Forum.  This info verifies what I've been saying for years while others say the date associated to the SN is an actual frame build date.





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## Metacortex (Aug 11, 2016)

indianaderrick said:


> Fd0798 is the number on my 1968 Apple Krate.  Is this considered a low serial number? Does it add to the value?




That is not an especially low serial number considering you are missing the last digit, In 1968 the serial number should be two letters followed by 5 numbers (MYnnnnn) as seen in the following pic:

AD42020 - Jan. '68 serial number as seen on a Fastback Sting-Ray




Also note that the serial number was stamped on the dropout before it was welded to the frame, and I believe the pre-stamped dropouts were used in random (non-numerical) order when actually building the frames.


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## indianaderrick (Aug 11, 2016)

Metacortex said:


> That is not an especially low serial number considering you are missing the last digit, In 1968 the serial number should be two letters followed by 5 numbers (MYnnnnn) as seen in the following pic:
> 
> AD42020 - Jan. '68 serial number as seen on a Fastback Sting-Ray
> 
> ...







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## indianaderrick (Aug 11, 2016)

I dont see a last number

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## Metacortex (Aug 11, 2016)

I don't either, but the pic is out of focus, the dropout is covered in dirt, and the fender strut may be partially covering it as well.


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## GTs58 (Aug 11, 2016)

indianaderrick said:


> I dont see a last number
> 
> Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk




That's weird, I don't see a pronounced last number either. I do see something else like possibly a light miss stamping of some sort higher and further back. A 9 or 0 stamp misaligned?


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## indianaderrick (Aug 13, 2016)

I will try to clean it a little better and let you know.

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