Hi Dave,
E86268 53
Thanks for the CWC detail photos and serial number. Your bike has all the features associated with late forties early fifties frames. It is possible that the 53 in the serial number relates to the year. I don’t have enough postwar serial numbers to say one way or the other at this point. If you have a chance, please post a picture of the entire frame as I can’t tell if it is a 3-Gill or straight-bar from the details.
What I have so far for postwar numbers is as follows, grouped chronologically by features.
Antony’s orange 3-Gill with pinch crown fork,
drop ears, tubular fender bridges, shallow curve downtube (1942?)
K73395
Antony’s black 3-Gill with pinch crown fork,
no drop ears (1942?-1946?)
E51122
3-Gill frames, as above but with standard forged fork. (1946?)
F52225 (eBay offering, 2005)
Thaibuddie
eBay w/Morrow hub (1946?)
3-Gill,
Deep curve down tube
A95159
3-Gill, Deep curve down tube,
Seat clamp w/ annular ring
F64197
Rear drops with notch for fender brace,
Stamped non-tubular fender bridges
B45580 ACw
B50914 588
E86268 53
G 46436
Forward dropouts, flat chain stays
J48747
Coupled with the data I have from prewar frames, my sense is that there are several strings of serial numbers beginning with a letter followed by five numbers that progress alpha-numerically. It appears that more than one of these chains was being used simultaneously at several points in time.
Without going deeper into speculation I’ll sign-off on the topic for now.
Phil