Picked up this Hawthorne from FB marketplace for $30 last night and though it's crusty I just love the look! Been researching this on various threads here but can't seem to come up with a year. I believe it's Rollfast made but really don't see any serial numbers. Interested in knowing the appropriate year and model. Thanks!
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Help with Model and Year Montgomery Ward Hawthorne
- Thread starter BrianInPA
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Archie Sturmer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
The yoke arrangement about the seat post cluster indicates a middleweight design from the later part of the 1950’s.
About that time, Snyder started to stamp the serial numbers on the left rear fork ends.
On older middleweights, continued to stamp a date-place code (fairly lightly) on the bottom bracket crank hanger.
Later, Snyder Enterprises would stamp a circle-SE above the serial numbers.
Snyder was a bicycle manufacturer who sold them to DP Harris a wholesaler of Rollfast bicycles, and to Montgomery Ward a catalog sales company with department stores, (amongst others).
The front forks might be straightened.
A good deal, as some might pay the same amount just for pieces of the springer forks hardware.
About that time, Snyder started to stamp the serial numbers on the left rear fork ends.
On older middleweights, continued to stamp a date-place code (fairly lightly) on the bottom bracket crank hanger.
Later, Snyder Enterprises would stamp a circle-SE above the serial numbers.
Snyder was a bicycle manufacturer who sold them to DP Harris a wholesaler of Rollfast bicycles, and to Montgomery Ward a catalog sales company with department stores, (amongst others).
The front forks might be straightened.
A good deal, as some might pay the same amount just for pieces of the springer forks hardware.
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Thank you for the great information as always! Are you thinking there may be a serial number but it is possibly just light and covered by the paint?
Archie Sturmer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
About the time that Snyder started stamping the circle-SE, the date-place stamps on the bottom bracket, (such as 65SN for 1956), appear to have been discontinued.
Post-war bicycle serial numbers were prefixed with an alphabet letter, perhaps indicating the year, with some (minor?) inconsistencies.
If the serial numbers are not on the left rear fork end, older bikes were stamped on the seat tube.
Post-war bicycle serial numbers were prefixed with an alphabet letter, perhaps indicating the year, with some (minor?) inconsistencies.
If the serial numbers are not on the left rear fork end, older bikes were stamped on the seat tube.
Adamtinkerer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Snyder built bikes were reverse year dated through '58. In '59, the serial # moved to the brake arm side rear dropout, and started with A for that year. They continued alphabetically into 1969, when they returned to A again. This bike looks to be from the later '50s, as it has four connected holes in the rear dropouts, early to mid '50s only had the outer two holes.
Ok cool, thank you for the information. I located the serial number...would this be 1961?
Actually when I was posting the picture I see there is a B at the start of the number
Archie Sturmer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
In the thread below, are pictures of a Ladies 1955–B Rollfast middleweight bicycle with a “B”; and an example of the date-place code stamp. https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/barn-find.195455/
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Adamtinkerer
Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
If there's also an SE in a circle there, I'd say '60. Without that, could be mid '50s, and maybe the reverse year stamp is too faint to see. You might try to sand it lightly.
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