Raleigh Serial Numbers Throughout The Years
What this chart is intended to be:
This chart has been developed as an additional reference guide (more so then simply dating off Sturmey-Archer hubs) for the positive identification of Raleigh frames and entire bicycles. As proper factory documentation is very limited, the following charts are a constant work in progress; they are the culmination of (often dubious) official papers, the examination of numerous actual Raleighs positively dated by component dates, decal schemes, and color availabilities per year; and - more often the not - a hybrid of these two sources.
That said, these charts are representative primarily of U.S. production (unless noted), U.K. and export production serials may vary - but then again, they may not. There isn't enough existing data to say either with any amount of certainty.
Keep in mind that these charts are incomplete, and there is a reasonably wide margin of error between some serials due to the relatively limited amount of data available (considering the number of bicycles produced by Raleigh at any given time period). Rest assured, however, that all serial charts have been checked and re-checked prior to publication, and are as accurate as one could possibly ask for, given the limited data us enthusiasts are left to work with in the first place.
One other note of interest: There are other websites in existence that harbor incorrect charts based on questionable factory information; we have made it a point NOT to utilize a single one of these charts, unless factual data from actual bicycles correlate it. Furthermore, if there are any sections of our chart that may be in doubt, notice will be made on that specific chart.
Additionally, this chart was designed to give collectors - new and veteran alike - a venue for validating the claims of eBay and Craigslist sellers, and also to serve as a fact source to suppress those who knowingly attempt to pass later-production machines off as genuine 1940's and '50s articles.
IMPORTANT NOTE to beginners:
Some serial systems from one era may resemble that of an earlier or later era - please make a concerted effort to see that your own bicycle's (or bicycles') data matches these charts exactly - that is, the serial number system, placement, and font type used must correlate perfectly. Otherwise, you might accidentally date a bike based on the wrong chart, thereby yielding a false year of manufacture.
Why do I stress this point? Bogus information as a result of an owner's misinterpretation of serial charts have resulted in nasty arguments on eBay and other venues; for your sake and that of fellow collectors, please make 100% sure that your conclusions from this chart are correct. Use facts, do not rely on your hunch. If your Raleigh is equipped with a Sturmey-Archer rear hub that you suspect has not been been changed, check the date code on the hub's shell as well for additional verification.
NOTE:
Please do not copy/paste serial chart lists below and repost them elsewhere. We have put lots of effort into many of these charts, and as stated before, not all of them are finalized. Therefore, we would prefer - if there is to be a potentially imperfect chart online - that it be completely accessible for our editing when necessary. However, feel free to link to this page if you wish to make reference to the chart.
Serials stamped on side of seat lug (men's), front of seat lug (ladies', not shown), or bottom bracket (men's and ladies,' not shown), positioning of serial has no relation to serial system - there does not appear to be rhyme or reason relating to positioning. Samples shown above.
Serial convention:
Two serial conventions are used during this period:
Convention #1 (1947-1955):
6 digits followed by the letter "P" or "T." "P" serials used until and during 1950. "T" serials replaced "P" serials sometime mid-year 1950. Digits or letters in serial do NOT relate to month/year/day codes; only the serial in whole determines the year.
NOTE: This numbering system apparently ran until 1955, possibly longer, and concurrently with the newer serial system that debuted in 1948 (shown below). Raleighs of any model may be seen with either serial number type during this era.
Convention #2 (1948-195?):
4-5 digits followed by two letters (or, for the 28"-wheel models, two letters followed by 4-5 digits). e.g.: "12345AB," or "AB12345." Serial "rolls over" when numerals are used up - without rhyme or reason relating to month or year - in the same fashion as an odometer. This convention might have been used in 1947 as well, however, we have not found any Raleigh examples from 1947 so far that exhibit this serial system.
Convention #3 (1954-?):
This convention remains still largely unidentified, though it appears to follow an identical format to convention #2; e.g., "12345RA." However, the first letter in the serial, "R," appears to remain for the entire run of this system. The exact specifics of this system remain a mystery.
NOTE:
Some of the following information regarding Serial Convention #1 is derived from the Nottinghamshire Archive papers, and may therefore be approximated.
The entirety of the second serial chart is of our own research and are estimates - as accurate we can practically make them - of the serial numbers from the year and serial in question.
Corrisponding years for Convention 1 serial numbers (1947-1952):
1947 = Serials 437689P to 556893P
1948 = Serials 556894P to 695050P
1949 = Serials 695051P and approximately up to and past 730807P (a serial known to exist on a '49 Clubman)
1950 = "P" serials past (and perhaps somewhat earlier then) "800000P" AND "T" serials "000001T" (?) to "151178T." Last year for "P" serials
1951 = Serials "151179T" to "367368T"
1952 = Serials "367369T" terminating at an unknown serial.
1953 = No data.
1954 = No data.
1955 = Serials in the "591---T" range and up to an unknown limit.
Corrisponding years for Convention 2 serial numbers (1948-1955):
1948 = Serials ".....AJ" through ".....AP" (?)
1949 = Serials ".....AP" through ".....A?"
1950 = Serials ".....A?" through ".....AX" (Serials "...AV," "...AW," and "...AX" may stand for both a late 1950 model, or early '51s built with frames built the previous year)
1951 = Serials ".....AV" through ".....BG"
1952 = Serials ".....BG" through ".....BI"
1953 = Serials ".....BI" through ".....B?"
1954 = UNK
1955 = UNK
In addition to the two serial types above, a third system appears to have been established in 1955, or at the earliest, 1954; terminating in the early-mid '60s - the most recent example I have on hand is from 1962, though I suspect the official cutoff may date to 1963 or '64.
This system follows a similar pattern to Convention #2 above, and uses a prefix or suffic of "RA" or "RB," followed by 4 or 5 digits, but never exceeding 5. Location is on the side of the seat lug, as with the earlier serials above.
By 1961/62, an additional-single letter suffix was added, presumably as an identifier of the factory the frame was produced, for every single example I've seen is represented by the letter "N," which is not unreasonable to assume stands for Nottingham. Neither it is not out of the question that other letters may exist, representing Raleigh's other factories.
One may assume that "RA" serial numbers began with "RA00001" (or RA1000), and continue until "RA 99999 N," at which point the system was reset to "RB 00001 N" (or RB 10000 N). This seems to have happened around 1962, and it is reasonable to assume that all "RB" symbols represent bikes produced post-1961.
Like the later serial system below, this particular system has yet to be decoded, or its cutoff dates concretely determined.
At present, I have insufficent information about the serial numbers from this era to construct a definite chart of every serial variant used during this time period. At least 4 or 5 different serial systems were used - or perhaps more accurately, experimented with - during this time.
That said, two nearly identical serial systems ran concurrently during this time period. Both follow similar formats, and the only reason they don't directly overlap is due to the time period at which each was put into use.
Both systems consist of 6 digits (presumably beginning with either 000001 or 100000), though only one of the two systems rolled over to 7 digits. The first of these two systems (noted below as "System 196X") started in the early 1960's - no earlier then 1961 - and ultimately rolled over to 7 digits sometime in 1970. It then rolls over from 1999999 to 2000000 around 1971, though a lot of evidence shows that some of these '70/1 frames were not released from the factory until 1973 (complete with the new italicized Raleigh/Rampar decal set). This is the only hypothesis I can suggest to explain the phenomenon.
Complicating manners is the other 5/6-digit serial system (noted below as "System 1971"), introduced in 1971, as its name would imply. This system presumably never rolled over to 7 digits, and was purposely introduced after the previous 6-digit system had already rolled over to 7 digits. well.
More importantly, there almost certainly will exist duplicated serial numbers from bikes produced around the same period within two different decades. For instance, there may be a Raleigh carrying hypothetical serial "225000," produced in the early 1960s; and another bike carrying the same number, yet, dating from 1971. However, I will not put any additional effort into examining this potential problem until more data is available in my database of serial numbers.
The serials from this era, specifically for general production machines (Sports, Superbe, Sprite), will be located on the seat lug. Twenty/Folders will have the serial marked on the outside of the left dropout, and some Grand Prix models have it in this location as well. Unknown where they are located on DL-1s.
Please note that the serials used for Raleigh Choppers, while usually of a nearly identical 7-digit system, do not corrispond well with those of the larger bicycles. For now, it should be assumed that the Choppers' serial system is separate (until proven otherwise).
Men's models will have the stamping on the top of the lug, ladies' frames will have the serial stamped to the front of the lug.
This said, I have compiled a rough draft containing sections of the serial system that I am quite confident are accurate. Please understand that the overriding nature of each serial system renders these serials unreliable for identifying the year a certain frameset has been manufactured. Use this chart only in conjunction with Sturmey-Archer rear hubs and frameset decals as additional guides.
I have named each serial system for the year it was (apparently) introduced. Since I do not have enough data for "System 196X," the year of introduction and the extent that the chart covers do not correlate presently.
All of the cutoffs are approximated.
System "196X":
1970: 900000-1800000
1971: 1800001-2700000
1972: 2800001-3800000
Early 1973: 3800001-?
System "1971":
1971: 00001-200000
1972: 200001-700000
Early 1973: 700001-900000
Serial location:
Serials stamped on rear of seatpost (both men's and ladies' models) near top on most models; sample shown at left. Some examples may be stamped on the bottom bracket as on the right.
Serial convention:
Two letters, followed by a series of six digits.
First letter stands for the production factory:
N=Nottingham
W=Worksop + Nottingham after 1981, following closure of Worksop factory. Discontinued in 1990.
E=Enid (USA)
G=Gazelle
M=Malaysia
R=Canada
D=Ireland
H=Handsworth (U.K.)
B=Unknown, but reported
Second letter stands for APPROXIMATED month of frame manufacture:
Jan=A
Feb=B/C
Mar=D
Apr=E/F
May=G
Jun=H/I/J
Jul=K
Aug=L
Sep=M
Oct=N/O
Nov=P/Q/R
Dec=S
First numeral (third digit in sequence) stands for year of manufacture;
"3" = 1973, "4" = 1974, "5" = 1975, "6" = 1976, etc.
All following digits:
Unit # in production run
Example:
A cycle manufactured in Nottingham, in the month of March of the year 1975, would feature the serial "ND5------."
For instance, the photo shown above, to the left, bears the serial "NL9------," indicating a machine made in August 1979, at the Nottingham factory. The example to the left is "WR0------," which would indicate Worksop manufacture in November of 1980 (and most likely a 1981 model due to the late month).
Serial location:
Serial stamped on bottom bracket (both men's and ladies' models); sample shown above.
Serial convention:
First digit of serial = year (e.g.: "4"=1984)
Second digit (letter) of serial = ? (e.g.: "?"=?)
Third digit of serial = ? (e.g.: "?"=?)
Note:
Due to advance production for next-year models, some serials may indicate a production year backdated one year prior to the actual model year of the bike in question.
Detailed identification pages for steel Raleigh USA racing-series models are planned.
