Amati Serial Numbers
The Nicolo Amati workshop was where both makers initially worked. In the Guarneri workshop there was not only Andrea, but also Pietro Giovanni, Pietro Guarneri (or Peter of Venice) and his brother Giuseppe (also called 'del Gesu' since he used a cross and the initials I.H.S., which is a monogram for the name Jesus Christ) who worked on the violins. The last number in the flute sequence is 31199 for an instrument completed 9/5/1950, while the first flute to appear in the reed sequence has the serial number 42799 and was completed 3/11/1949. Despite the overlap in production dates, these numbers appear to have been issued sequentially in the last months of 1949. Allora’s Paris Series saxophones invoke the centuries-old tradition of French instrument making. The tone, response, flexibility and dynamic expression are everything an accomplished player seeks in a performance horn. Unfortunately for most instruments you might need the help of an expert, such as our team of specialists at Amati. However, here is a quick run down of what you might be able to do at home. Violin labels: The label might tell you who made your violin. You can find a label inside the (usually) left hand f.
Knowing who made your violin is one of the most important clues to its value. Unfortunately for most instruments you might need the help of an expert, such as our team of specialists at Amati. However, here is a quick run down of what you might be able to do at home.
Violin labels:
The label might tell you who made your violin. You can find a label inside the (usually) left hand f-hole in the violin. Not all violins have labels, and you may have to blow away the dust and move the violin under the light to see whether yours does. Many labels are fake, but even fake labels might give an idea of who made the violin. Amati has a few examples of labels in their Makers’ Archive to compare your own against, but be aware that it does not take long to copy a label and put it in a violin – it is something that has been going on for centuries.
Family History:

If a past owner was a professional musician, it is quite possible that the instrument is a good one. However, stories about being sold a violin by a musician during the Depression and others similar do not help much. The bottom line is whether the person who originally purchased the violin had both the money and the knowledge to buy well.
Violin Certificates:
Some of the best violins come with certificates that tell you who made your violin, these are sold with the violin by the dealer or shop that originally brokered the deal. Sometimes when I talk to clients they become a bit confused and think I am talking about the label inside the violin. I am not. Although certificates can sometimes be wrong, labels are nearly always wrong. Certificates usually come on a smart piece of paper, often with a seal or stamp and might be kept separately to the violin. Some of the best certificates of the 20th Century were those of J. & A. Beare (London), W.E. Hill & Sons (London), Lyon & Healey (Chicago), Rembert Wurlitzer (Manhattan), Bein & Fushi (Chicago).
The Violin Bridge:
A quirky clue, but if you look at the bridge (the small pale piece of wood holding the strings up), it may have a name stamped on it. The most common is probably ‘Aubert’ which is a generic stamp, but some might have the name of the shop that originally sold the instrument. This might provide a clue.
Amati Kraslice Serial Numbers
In the end, nothing is a substitute for an expert being able to inspect the instrument to tell you who made the violin. We at Amati provide a free online service where people can send in photographs, and valuation days around the UK and the rest of the world, where our specialist can, in person, examine your instrument.
BUESCHER | |
Serial# | Year |
5000 | 1905 |
11250 | 1910 |
25103 | 1915 |
61255 | 1920 |
175275 | 1925 |
255250 | 1930 |
269000 | 1935 |
291000 | 1940 |
303000 | 1945 |
332000 | 1950 |
350000 | 1955 |
360000 | 1960 |
381000 | 1963 |
Bought out by Selmer | |
408818 | 1965 |
520000 | 1970 |
630000 | 1975 |
785000 | 1980 |
875000 | 1983 |
SELMER (PARIS) | |
Serial# | Year |
10000 | 1929 |
12000 | 1930 |
Cigar Cutter | |
14000 | 1931 |
17000 | 1932 |
18000 | 1933 |
19000 | 1934 |
20000 | 1935 |
Balanced Action | |
22000 | 1936 |
24000 | 1937 |
25000 | 1938 |
27000 | 1939 |
30000 | 1940 |
33000 | 1947 |
Super Balanced Action | |
35000 | 1948 |
37000 | 1949 |
40000 | 1950 |
43000 | 1951 |
Low A Baritone | |
46000 | 1952 |
50000 | 1953 |
52000 | 1954 |
Mark VI | |
57000 | 1955 |
62000 | 1956 |
66000 | 1957 |
71000 | 1958 |
76000 | 1959 |
81000 | 1960 |
90000 | 1961 |
94000 | 1962 |
103000 | 1963 |
110000 | 1964 |
120000 | 1965 |
129000 | 1966 |
137000 | 1967 |
149000 | 1968 |
160000 | 1969 |
171000 | 1970 |
182000 | 1971 |
192000 | 1972 |
204000 | 1973 |
218000 | 1974 |
231000 | 1975 |
Mark VII | |
243000 | 1976 |
256000 | 1977 |
272000 | 1978 |
282000 | 1979 |
300000 | 1980 |
327300 | 1981 |
Super Action 80 | |
340200 | 1982 |
353800 | 1983 |
366400 | 1984 |
378800 | 1985 |
391000 | 1986 |
Super Action 80 II | |
406000 | 1987 |
CONN | |
Serial# | Year |
9600 | 1905 |
10800 | 1906 |
12000 | 1907 |
13000 | 1908 |
15400 | 1909 |
17800 | 1910 |
21200 | 1911 |
22500 | 1912 |
25000 | 1913 |
30000 | 1914 |
35000 | 1916 |
40000 | 1917 |
50000 | 1919 |
58000 | 1920 |
64000 | 1921 |
83000 | 1922 |
101775 | 1923 |
124600 | 1924 |
145400 | 1925 |
167900 | 1926 |
193450 | 1927 |
209250 | 1928 |
224600 | 1929 |
237800 | 1930 |
244700 | 1931 |
249230 | 1932 |
256501 | 1933 |
260000 | 1934 |
263500 | 1935 |
271000 | 1936 |
278000 | 1937 |
284000 | 1938 |
285000 | 1939 |
288300 | 1940 |
295250 | 1941 |
304500 | 1942 |
309250 | 1943 |
309300 | 1944 |
310200 | 1945 |
314000 | 1946 |
320000 | 1947 |
327150 | 1948 |
332150 | 1949 |
337250 | 1950 |
341850 | 1951 |
341851 | 1952 |
354742 | 1953 |
359251 | 1954 |
500001 | 1955 |
571750 | 1956 |
652002 | 1957 |
718626 | 1958 |
779657 | 1959 |
834200 | 1960 |
898556 | 1961 |
949465 | 1962 |
C00501 | 1963 |
C73854 | 1964 |
E54106 | 1965 |
H31247 | 1966 |
K35274 | 1967 |
L20454 | 1968 |

BUFFET | |
Serial# | Year |
2925 | 1952 |
3115 | 1953 |
3390 | 1954 |
3763 | 1955 |
4226 | 1956 |
4817 | 1957 |
5392 | 1958 |
6172 | 1959 |
6808 | 1960 |
7416 | 1961 |
8656 | 1962 |
9669 | 1963 |
10064 | 1964 |
11749 | 1965 |
12778 | 1966 |
13766 | 1967 |
14487 | 1968 |
15347 | 1969 |
16323 | 1970 |
17319 | 1971 |
18445 | 1972 |
19787 | 1973 |
21441 | 1974 |
22687 | 1975 |
24417 | 1976 |
26151 | 1977 |
27280 | 1978 |
28733 | 1979 |
30190 | 1980 |
31539 | 1981 |
32961 | 1982 |
33924 | 1983 |
34664 | 1984 |
35733 | 1985 |
Amati Serial Numbers
KING | |
Serial# | Year |
5000 | 1915 |
78000 | 1925 |
126000 | 1930 |
161000 | 1935 |
220000 | 1940 |
275000 | 1945 |
305000 | 1950 |
340000 | 1955 |
370000 | 1960 |
406500 | 1965 |
457600 | 1970 |
511750 | 1975 |
MARTIN | ||
Serial# | Year | |
17221 | 1919 | |
19482 | 1920 | |
19933 | 1921 | |
23781 | 1921 | |
29942 | 1922 | |
34838 | 1923 | |
40644 | 1924 | |
48489 | 152342 | 1925 |
54853 | ||
67852 | 162852 | 1926 |
172051 | ||
79254 | 1927 | |
86687 | 1928 | |
*192536 | 1027 | 1929 |
*first digit dropped on most serial numbers | ||
98324 | 2982 | 1930 |
101622 | 7119 | 1931 |
105096 | 1932 | |
106546 | 1933 | |
108301 | 1934 | |
10758 | 111253 | 1935 |
14526 | 116551 | 1936 |
15396 | 118038 | 1937 |
18861 | 126998 | 1938 |
20563 | 132070 | 1939 |
23231 | 136040 | 1940 |
24572 | 140199 | 1941 |
26643 | 144455 | 1942 |
145322 | 1943 | |
1944 | ||
145352 | 1945 | |
154289 | 1946 | |
161520 | 1947 | |
165326 | 1948 | |
170395 | 1949 | |
172215 | 1950 | |
172449 first Imperial | ||
175140 | 1951 | |
41693 | 179317 | 1952 |
45824 Indiana | 183125 | 1953 |
49586 Indiana | 187614 | 1954 |
193747 | 1955 | |
56162 | 196213 | 1956 |
66719 | 203809 | 1957 |
66727 | 201917 | 1958 |
70988 | 205377 | 1959 |
76224 | 209089 | 1960 |
81885 | 211675 | 1961 |
87850 | 213999 | 1962 |
218855 | 1963 |
HOLTON | |
Serial# | Year |
1 | 1901 |
254 | 1902 |
476 | 1903 |
526 | 1904 |
1151 | 1905 |
1872 | 1906 |
3345 | 1907 |
4630 | 1908 |
6071 | 1909 |
9474 | 1910 |
12,402 | 1911 |
15,950 | 1912 |
20,807 | 1913 |
21,100 | 1914 |
31,622 | 1915 |
33,671 | 1916 |
37,909 | 1917 |
41,070 – 43,972 | 1918 |
55,000 – 55,249 | 1918 |
43,973 – 47,600 | 1919 |
55,250 – 57,040 | 1919 |
47,601 – 49,817 | 1920 |
57,041 – 58,499 | 1920 |
70,000 – 70,549 | 1920 |
49,818 – 54,999 | 1921 |
58,500 – 59,499 | 1921 |
70,550 – 73,199 | 1921 |
59,500 – 60,599 | 1922 |
73,200 – 76,099 | 1922 |
60,600 – 61,649 | 1923 |
76,100 – 81,000 | 1923 |
61,650 – 62,199 | 1924 |
81,001 – 85,600 | 1924 |
62,200 – 62,899 | 1925 |
85,900 – 89,849 | 1925 |
62,900 – 63,149 | 1926 |
89,850 – 92,799 | 1926 |
63,150 – 63,299 | 1927 |
92,800 – 97,199 | 1927 |
63,300 – 63,549 | 1928 |
97,200 – 101,399 | 1928 |
63,550 – 63,849 | 1929 |
101,400 – 105,199 | 1929 |
63,850 – 64,049 | 1930 |
105,200 – 108,399 | 1930 |
64,050 – 64,149 | 1931 |
108,400 – 111,049 | 1931 |
111,099 – 113,899 | 1932 |
113,990 – 114,999 | 1933 |
115,000 – 117,299 | 1934 |
117,300 – 118,599 | 1935 |
118,600 – 120,599 | 1936 |
120,600 – 122,899 | 1937 |
122,900 – 125,849 | 1938 |
125,850 – 132,799 | 1939 |
132,800 – 140,099 | 1940 |
140,100 – 151,299 | 1941 |
151,300 – 154,199 | 1942 |
154,200 – 154,699 | 1943 |
154,700 – 154,899 | 1944 |
154,900 – 156,099 | 1945 |
156,100 – 165,599 | 1946 |
165,600 – 181,999 | 1947 |
182,000 – 198,299 | 1948 |
198,399 – 210,299 | 1949 |
210,300 – 220,499 | 1950 |
220,500 – 232,599 | 1951 |
232,600 – 243,349 | 1952 |
243,350 – 254,099 | 1953 |
254,100 – 268,999 | 1954 |
269,000 – 281,399 | 1955 |
281,400 – 293,699 | 1956 |
293,700 – 307,399 | 1957 |
307,400 – 315,699 | 1958 |
315,700 – 326,099 | 1959 |
326,100 – 337,599 | 1960 |
337,600 – 348,399 | 1961 |
348,400 – 358,499 | 1962 |
358,500 – 373,699 | 1963 |
373,700 – 388,949 | 1964 |
388,950 – 403,350 | 1965 |
403,351 – 435,999 | 1966 |
536,600 – 455,749 | 1967 |
455,750 – 467,099 | 1968 |
467,100 – 483,099 | 1969 |
483,100 – 496,799 | 1970 |
496,800 – 504,200 | 1971 |
504,201 – 519,299 | 1972 |
519,300 – 524,599 | 1973 |
524,600 – 529,899 | 1974 |
529,900 – 535,199 | 1975 |
535,200 – 541,999 | 1976 |
542,000 – 548,429 | 1977 |
CLEVELAND | |
Serial# | Year |
1 | 1925 |
10,000 | 1930 |
30,000 | 1935 |
40,000 | 1940 |
45,000 | 1945 |
50,000 | 1950 |
56,000 | 1955 |
100,000 | 1960 |
160,000 | 1965 |
420,000 | 1970 |
600,000 | 1975 |
YANIGASAWASAXOPHONES |
During the 1970′s, the 3rd and 4th digit of the serial number indicate the year of manufacture.1972 – 12729030 1973 – 12731254 1974 – 12745400 1975 – 12753382 1976 – 12764553 1977 – 12775790 1978 – 12781317 1979 – 12791801 1980 – 00102143 1981 – 00106981 1982 – 00111892 1983 – 00117142 1984 – 00122663 1985 – 00128485 1986 – 00134903 1987 – 00141658 1988 – 00148774 1989 – 00156006 1990 – 00162968 1991 – 00170073 1992 – 00177116 1993 – 00184318 1994 – 00189050 1995 – 00197400 1996 – 00205400 1997 – 00213000 1998 – 00219500 1999 – 00228250 2000 – 00235000 |
Amati Kraslice Clarinet Serial Numbers
SML SAXOPHONES | |
Serial# | Year |
1? – 3000 | 1934 to 1940 |
3000 – 5500 | 1940 to 1945 |
5500 – 8000 | 1945 to 1950 |
8000 – 12000 | 1950 to 1955 |
12000 – 16000 | 1955 to 1960 |
16000 – 19000 | 1960 to 1965 |
19000 – 22000 | 1965 to 1970 |
22000 – 24000 | 1970 to 1975 |
24000 – 26000 | 1975 to 1980 |
26000 – >27000 | 1980 to 1982 |