prewar Schwinn Serial

[HIGGINSFOREVER]

The bike is not 1940 or prewar, early postwar model, the serial number is a subject of debate when "F"
Started, clearly your bike is postwar (forward facing dropout).
Best,
Ivo

Yes i know its a postwar model.Just a little schwinn humor.

 

[GTs58]

Interesting serial number thread! I'd like to add a few facts that may or may not answer some of the questions or unknown reasons why some parts don't match up to the serial numbers supposed year. My research on the post war numbers may have some bearing on the prewar serials and Schwinn's production methods at that time.

First off and one important fact is, Schwinn pre stamped the serial numbers on the crank shells and later on the other components prior to that part being used in building a frame.
Secondly, Schwinn had their model year change over "normally" starting with the serial numbers that were stamped starting at some point in November and dates vary depending on the model along with all of Decembers stampings. Some new model entries were introduced early for Christmas sales such as the Black Phantom and the serial numbers on those were October 1949 and some from September 49 from what I've seen. Take into consideration that the post war serial number list has dates associated to the serial numbers and these dates are the dates the numbers were stamped on the bike's component. It is not a build date of the bike or the frame so there could be some wide spread time gap from the serial stamping date to the actual build of a frame or bike. Later down the road when Schwinn stamped the actual build dates on the head badges I've noted that the time span between the serial stamping date and final build date varies from a month and a half (rare) to two months in a somewhat normal year and many times you'll see a longer time gap between the two dates. During the Strike starting in late 1980 Schwinn made close to 1,000,000 head tubes with serials stamped, no bikes, with the MR or Dec. 80 serial numbers. Those MR stamped head tubes were used to build frames when the strike was over when production resumed in 1981. These head tubes were used on frames built all thru most of the 1981 production year.

In my opinion, dating a bike by some of it parts is sometimes the only way, but then again it can be totally wrong. If a 1940 serial number was on a DX that had the 1941 paint scheme on the frame I'd have say the bike was a 41 with the 1940 stamped BB shell. Parts can be and have been changed out on these prewar pieces so that problem and the fact Schwinn pre stamped the serial numbers ahead of any frame building makes it even more difficult to pin down the correct year of manufacture on the prewar pieces. When using the actual serial number list starting from August 1948 it makes it a little easier to see what was going on with Schwinn's production practices and when the model year change over actually started. I've also noted on some post war models that a newly introduced component that was new for the next year's models have shown up on pieces made in the fall of the previous year. One item was the seat tube decals on a 1962 model that was changed to the new 1963 wrap around decal but they still had all the 1962 components.

Knowing that the serial numbers that were stamped in the last two months of the year were used on units produced the following year may help in figuring out a prewar build year and that's if we know what letter series Schwinn was using in the last two months of any year. This may answer this question.

I've seen two original paint prewar cantilevers with the closely spaced small type that begin with the letter A.

What is with that? They read like a late 37 but I have not ever heard of, or seen any other early alphabet small type canti's.

All of the other small type numbered canti's (38 model) start around X Pretty strange! I'm sure the production of cantilever frames started in 1937 for the 1938 model year, so maybe the first ones built got 1937 stampings.

But, what happened to all of those other frames from B to V ?

 

[cyclingday]

A lot of water under the bridge since that post.
I am now convinced, that the small closely stamped A series was late 38/ early 39 before the use of the larger loosely spaced stamping began.
39 series were known to be a alphabetical turnover year, and 38 was known to be a alphabetical tail end year.
Both years had dramatically different font styles, so it makes sense, that when the alphabetical turnover happened, there was a transition from the small font to the large font, beginning with the letter A.

 

[GTs58]

A lot of water under the bridge since that post.
I am now convinced, that the small closely stamped A series was late 38/ early 39 before the use of the larger loosely spaced stamping began.
39 series were known to be a alphabetical turnover year, and 38 was known to be a alphabetical tail end year.
Both years had dramatically different font styles, so it makes sense, that when the alphabetical turnover happened, there was a transition from the small font to the large font, beginning with the letter A.

So somewhat the same situation with the A-B-C and D serials being used in 1952-53 and 57?

 

[Kato]

Posting up for help............thinking a 1937 but see where other info say late 40's and even 50's which I highly doubt.
Serial number is R56320 on a Schwinn Packard badged DX I just picked up..............will post up in Sunday Finds thread tomorrow.
Thoughts on actual year from the pros? I'm not sure which info to believe but betting / hoping 193

 

[ADReese]

Very cool dx! I'm pretty sure you've got a nice early postwar bike there.