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Schwinn Serial Numbers and Date Codes |
Dates between 1948 and 1958 are available because Schwinn kept good records. From
1958 on, several different coding systems were used, from which the manufacture
date (and often the assembly date) can be decifered.
All serial number records before 8/18/1948 were lost in a factory fire. For pre-1948 Schwinns try taking out the crankset to check for a date code. If you have a Schwinn from this era, please, PLEASE send us pictures of your bike and serial number (Cutter@Re-Cycle.com).
We are in the process of collecting pre-1948 serial numbers in the hopes of rebuilding the date code system for this period.
Locating the Serial Number
(CT = Cycletruck; WZ , S-10 = Whizzer; Tdm = Tandem.)
New numbering system begins April 17, 1958: First letter is the month; first digit is the year. D136694 = April 1961. I and O skipped to avoid confusion with one and zero.
1958 - A800000…
1959 - A900000…
1960 - A000000…
1961 - A100000…
1962 - A200000…
1963
- A300000…
1964 - A400000…
New numbering system: First letter = month; second letter = year.
1965 - AA00000…
1966 - AB00000…
1967 - AC00000…
1968 - AD00000…
1969 - AE00000…
1970 - AF00000…
The serial number was moved from the left rear dropout to the headtube between 1970 and 1971.
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1971 - AG00000…
1972 - AH00000...
1973 - AJ00000...
1974 - AK00000...
1975 - AL00000...
1976 - AM00000...
1977 - AN00000...
1978 - AP00000...
1979 - AQ00000...
1980 - AR00000...
1981 - AS00000...
1982 - AT00000...
1991
1992
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Le Tour and Super Le Tour models sometimes began with an 'S' followed by the Japan
Made numbering system:
1972 - SA200000...
1973 - SA300000...
1974 - SA400000...
1975 - SA500000...
1976 - SA600000...
1977 - SA700000...
1978 - SA800000...
1979 - SA900000...
1980 - SA000000...
1981 - SA100000...
1982 - SA200000...
1983 - SA300000...
In the 1980s, the 'S' began appearing in other models as well (Passage, Prelude).
1984 - SA400000... 1985 - SA500000...
1986 - SA600000...
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Japan Made numbering system: Letter is the month,
number in the first or second position is the year.
1971 - A100000... or 1A00000...
1972 - A200000... or 2A00000...
1973 - A300000... or 3A00000...
1974 - A400000... or 4A00000...
1975 - A500000... or 5A00000...
1976 - A600000... or 6A00000...
1977 - A700000... or 7A00000...
1978 - A800000... or 8A00000...
1979 - A900000... or 9A00000...
1980 - A000000... or 0A00000...
1981 - A100000... or 1A00000...
1982 - A200000... or 2A00000... |
Locating the Serial Number
1960 - 1969 Chicago built Schwinn serial numbers are found on the left rear axle-hanger or fork-end on the frame.
V67505 = 1956
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1970 - 1979 Chicago built Schwinn serial numbers are on the headtube of the frame where the fork enters from the bottom.
LG091296 = December 1971
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If it's not there, check the bottom of the bottom bracket (where the pedals go into the frame of the bike).
AY00H11858 = 2000
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The Chicago serial numbers consist of a letter representing the month of manufacture, a number indicating the last digit of the year (1960 - 1964; 0=1960, 1=1961, etc.) or a letter indicating the year (1965 - 1979; A=1965, B=1966, etc.), followed by a sequential series of five or six digits (e.g. A367584 or CB77584). If letters were used for date codes, they skipped the letters "I" and "O" as they looked too much like numbers. Note: This scheme is for all Chicago built non-Paramount models excluding 1962-1963 Superiors and 1964-1969 Super Sports (whose serial numbers are located on the left rear axle hanger and consist of a single letter code for the month [again, skip "I" and "O"], the last digit of the year and a 3-digit sequential build number -- e.g. 'K6018' is the 18th frame built in October of 1966).
The 1970 Super Sports with Huret dropouts seem to have used a two digit year ('C70204' -- March, 1970, 204th frame).
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The 1978-1983 Le Tour and Super Le Tour models had their serial numbers on the left rear axle hanger and many began with an 'S', followed by the Japan Made numbering
system.
SJ306418 = September 1983 |  |
Bicycles from Japan will have serial numbers located on the left, rear axle hanger, on the bottom bracket shell or on the lower section of the headlug. The number will have a production month letter in either the first or second position and a production year number in the other (first or second) position. Examples: J677123 = September, 1976.
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Beginning in the 1970s, many Schwinns feature a 4-digit stamp on the head badge
that represents the assembly date and consists of the Julian day and the last digit of the year (1246 decodes to the 124th day of 1976 or 1986 -- use decals and components to determine the decade). The Julian dating was adopted for Schwinn's domestic production in 1976. (See the 4-digit date code next to the "I"?)
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2779 = 277th day of 1979 or 1989
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Some Japanese bikes may have an 'X' in the month position of the frame serial number. This was used to connect the remainder of a production run that spilled over into
January of the next year. For example ‘X’ may have represented an overrun from the previous year. X9201937 should be Month X and Year 9. But it might be Month January of Year 0. Using this logic, Y9201937 might actually have been made in February of 1980, but was a part of the 1979 production run. I'm still looking for a confirmation of this dating method.
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Some Taiwanese (built by Giant) Schwinns have a date code (on the right rear axle hanger or on the bottom bracket shell) in the format 'Gmmyy'. The letter "G" followed by a two-digit month code (01 = January etc.) and two more digits for the production year (81 = 1981 etc.). An example would be 'G0181' and equates to "Giant, January, 1981".
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Sources:
http://www.geocities.com/sldatabook/serial.html
The Bicycle Trader August 1996, The West CoasterMay/June 1991
Collectable Schwinn-Built Bicycles by James L. Hurd. |
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