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Raleigh Sprite year of fabrication?

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That Sturmey 5-speed set up is from the first generation where they used the light-duty bell crank and the small plastic armed shifter. They later went to an improved bell crank and the larger shifters with metal arms.
 
Interesting note: As I was searching through eBay for Favorit parts, a Sprite (poor condition, not rideable; listed as "for parts or repair")was for sale at $1800 (yes!). I contacted the seller (USA based) as a courtesy to inform that individual about the bike its general history and value. I asked if the price was a mistake. Was it supposed to be $180? No reply, but the bike is now being sold for a steal at $900; 50% off, get it while it's a bargain (sorry, it just hurts to think about it!)!
 
The serial number on the boy's bike is 1471334, situated at the top of the seat tube.
The wheels are 26x1 3/8".
The girl's bike has the s.n. on the bottom bracket. Very hard to read.

Regarding that Sprite for sale on ebay, I think I got a better deal here, paying 30$ on both bikes.
 
You're better off using the hub date on the girl's bike, and 1967-68 would appear to be about right for that one. The issue was that the first style bell cranks tended to either get broken or flex to the point that cable adjustment could be difficult. In typical late 1960s fashion, they tried to "go cheap" with the bell cranks and use under-spec stamped metal pieces. The other issue was the shifter was also under-spec, with the levers tending to bend or break. In both cases, Raleigh actually had to go to a more expensive part - the later bell crank and the metal stick shifters. If the bike is going to see a lot of use, some people skip over the metal stick shifters and go straight for a friction shifter to the bell crank and a standard Sturmey handlebar click shifter for the drive side shifter cable.
 
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