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Crescent Model 20 I.D. Number, what year please ?

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Thads Skunk Works

Wore out three sets of tires already!
Hoping someone will tell me what year this Crescent model 20 is from this serial number ? (Thanks for the site) 1415172
 
Thad,

Here is my first pass at Crescent serial numbers by year from digging through period publications/newspapers and serial numbers from existing Crescents. Definitely needs a lot more work and research but had to start somewhere. Curious if anyone else has a list going to compare this to or more info to add to it.

1894 Serial Number Range 70000-121000 (51,000+)
1895 Serial Number Range 121000-178000 (57,000+)
1896 Serial Number Range 178000-248000 (70,000+)
1897 Serial Number Range 248000-331000 (83,000+)
1898 Serial Number Range 331000-431000 (100,000+)
1899 Serial Number Range 431000-561000 (130,000)

1900 Serial Number Range 561000-740000 (179,000)
1901 Serial Number Range 740000-786000 (46,000)
1902 Serial Number Range 786000-?

From Crescent catalogs, Tandem No. 20 was only offered 1897 and 1898. From the sequence above, your 459860 serial number is early 1899 so it could have been left over from 1898 and sold in 1899 even though Crescent did not advertise a tandem for 1899. The beginning and end of these serial number ranges are a little fuzzy so it could also just be a very late 1898 model. Either way, from references found to date, I am confident yours is a 1898 No. 20 Tandem and not a 1897.

The 1894-1899 production quantities above came directly from period Crescent ads. Have not nailed down quantities for pre-1894 so 70000 is a guesstimate based on highest 1893 serial number I have found is 59770.

Jeff
 
Thad,

Here is my first pass at Crescent serial numbers by year from digging through period publications/newspapers and serial numbers from existing Crescents. Definitely needs a lot more work and research but had to start somewhere. Curious if anyone else has a list going to compare this to or more info to add to it.

1894 Serial Number Range 70000-121000 (51,000+)
1895 Serial Number Range 121000-178000 (57,000+)
1896 Serial Number Range 178000-248000 (70,000+)
1897 Serial Number Range 248000-331000 (83,000+)
1898 Serial Number Range 331000-431000 (100,000+)
1899 Serial Number Range 431000-561000 (130,000)

1900 Serial Number Range 561000-740000 (179,000)
1901 Serial Number Range 740000-786000 (46,000)
1902 Serial Number Range 786000-?

From Crescent catalogs, Tandem No. 20 was only offered 1897 and 1898. From the sequence above, your 459860 serial number is early 1899 so it could have been left over from 1898 and sold in 1899 even though Crescent did not advertise a tandem for 1899. The beginning and end of these serial number ranges are a little fuzzy so it could also just be a very late 1898 model. Either way, from references found to date, I am confident yours is a 1898 No. 20 Tandem and not a 1897.

The 1894-1899 production quantities above came directly from period Crescent ads. Have not nailed down quantities for pre-1894 so 70000 is a guesstimate based on highest 1893 serial number I have found is 59770.

Jeff
Jeff, just what I was looking for. You must be putting a lot of time & work into finding this info. Thanks so much, If I can help let me know, Thad
 
I just want to thank you again for the info on Crescent bikes. The 1898 catalog PDF you sent has so much detail on their models & the way they were built. Back then people went to great lengths to produce the best product possible & the Crescent co. certainly did. There is so much info in their catalog about the engineering & manufacturing techniques & it's good to know that the info in this catalog is absolutely authentic for restoration purposes. Can't thank you enough, good luck, Thad
 
Hello again Jeff. You were a great help to me & I appreciate it. Also I would like your help again. I have bought another Crescent bike. The I.D. number is 593086 making it a 1900 model. Do you have a PDF on that year Crescent that I can get ? I notice the sprocket on this one is different than the other 1900 sprocket that I bought on CABE. Have a good weekend & thanks again, Thad

325.jpg


325-2.jpg
 
Thad,

The only men's model in 1900 Crescent catalog with that sprocket is Model 51. The seat binder design and handle bar clamp as shown below from 1900 catalog cuts do not match yours, but those areas on yours match 1898 Crescent designs. Since Model 51 was intended to be sold at a lower price without the latest features, the seat binder and handle bar clamp may have been carried over from previous years. Also cannot always assume what the catalog shows is what was actually produced and sold. What size is your frame?

Jeff

1439718


1439719


1439720
 
Thad,

The only men's model in 1900 Crescent catalog with that sprocket is Model 51. The seat binder design and handle bar clamp as shown below from 1900 catalog cuts do not match yours, but those areas on yours match 1898 Crescent designs. Since Model 51 was intended to be sold at a lower price without the latest features, the seat binder and handle bar clamp may have been carried over from previous years. Also cannot always assume what the catalog shows is what was actually produced and sold. What size is your frame?

Jeff

View attachment 1439718

View attachment 1439719

View attachment 1439720
It's a 24" frame. Good information Jeff, Thanks again, Thad
 
Thad,

Here is my first pass at Crescent serial numbers by year from digging through period publications/newspapers and serial numbers from existing Crescents. Definitely needs a lot more work and research but had to start somewhere. Curious if anyone else has a list going to compare this to or more info to add to it.

1894 Serial Number Range 70000-121000 (51,000+)
1895 Serial Number Range 121000-178000 (57,000+)
1896 Serial Number Range 178000-248000 (70,000+)
1897 Serial Number Range 248000-331000 (83,000+)
1898 Serial Number Range 331000-431000 (100,000+)
1899 Serial Number Range 431000-561000 (130,000)

1900 Serial Number Range 561000-740000 (179,000)
1901 Serial Number Range 740000-786000 (46,000)
1902 Serial Number Range 786000-?

From Crescent catalogs, Tandem No. 20 was only offered 1897 and 1898. From the sequence above, your 459860 serial number is early 1899 so it could have been left over from 1898 and sold in 1899 even though Crescent did not advertise a tandem for 1899. The beginning and end of these serial number ranges are a little fuzzy so it could also just be a very late 1898 model. Either way, from references found to date, I am confident yours is a 1898 No. 20 Tandem and not a 1897.

The 1894-1899 production quantities above came directly from period Crescent ads. Have not nailed down quantities for pre-1894 so 70000 is a guesstimate based on highest 1893 serial number I have found is 59770.

Jeff
Hi. Jeff

Impressive research and very interesting to take part of dating early Crescent bicycles. I will pass this knowledge on to my Swedish collector acquaintances. I take for granted that you are familiar with the Swedish heritage from 1908 when Lindblads in Stockholm became licensed to produce the Crescent models with Swedish frames and parts. I’m trying to complete my collection of the different variety’s / shapes of the head badges and see that I don’t have the versions that came in 1902. I didn’t know of the version displayed in the picture until this year and not sure of if it even was shipped over to Sweden? Obviously there seem to be different badge types running along at the same time from 1902. As you also know , catalogs doesn’t tell everything and not always the truth unfortunately. So my question is:

  1. Are you , or do you know someone that is able to help me filling in the missing gaps of different Crescent head badges and when they were released from 1893 to the 1930’s. ( see picture ) . I do have the 1893 catalog but can’t see what the head badge or decal was like ? I also have the American 1896, 1897 , 1899 and 1901 (swe) catalog
  2. Do you know someone that might be able to sell or even better swap the two different 1902 models? ( see pictures ) . That would be more than great full. I do have some American TOC head badges that could be of interest for the wheelman in need. The more unusual ones should be my ARGUS and THE AMERICAN FAVOURITE that Bill Smith was happy to register in 2016 and 2018 when I made him aware of their existence. See picture. I have also included a picture of my Crescent head badge collection along with the Luna mascot that was manufactured along with the Swedish Crescent bicycles from 1935 to ca 1945. If miss Luna is of interest ,she would also be available for swapping. Mascots are my main interest in collecting bicycle related memorabilia along with their belonging head badges and catalogs. Hope to hear from you. Merry Christmas and cheers / Stefan

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Hi Jeff.
Thanks for the note. Hope you had a good Christmas & New Years. I don't know of anyone around here that has a Crescent bike. This is Kansas, about the only bikes that were purchased here back in the day were Hawthornes (Oklahoma Tire Stores) & Western Flyers (Western Auto Stores). I grew up in the 40's. We grew up with bikes back then, never very far away from our bikes. Few models that are collectable now ever made it to Kansas. The Model 20 Tandem I have is the only Crescent I've ever seen. I got lucky & found it at a swap meet in Haysville Ks a couple of years ago. You were a great help to me while I restored it. You sent me copies of some Crescent catalogs that were really helpful. Wish I could help you in your search for more info. I attached a pic of an item I found at a Goodwill store last week for a dollar. This "Crescent Moon" has internal LED lights, very nice. Lucky find. Good Luk Jeff, I'm forever grateful for your help. I have a few parts left over. Is there anything you are looking for ? I have a badge but it's from a Swedish Crescent so you probably don't want that.
Thad

CIMG4408.JPG
 
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