C. Bechstein serial numbers: finding and dating your piano

Dating a C. Bechstein starts with identifying the number you have found. A piano may carry other numbers as well as its factory serial number. With an older grand in particular, record the location of the marking and the complete maker’s name before searching for a production year.

Where might the factory serial number be?

The iron plate near the tuning pins is a useful starting point: the serial number is often there. On early Bechstein grands, the soundboard beneath the company logo is another possible location. These are typical places to look, rather than a guarantee that every instrument has its number in the same position. C. Bechstein number locations and distinctions.

Why another number may give the wrong answer

A number further back on the soundboard may be an internal production number. It should not be treated as the serial number of the whole piano without establishing what it identifies. Equally, location alone cannot conclusively explain a marking.

If you find several numbers, record each one and where it appears. Do not choose a number because it produces the age you were hoping for. Take a close-up of the characters and a wider photograph showing the surrounding area.

What to record before searching

• The full maker’s name, including the “C.” and any other wording. This page concerns C. Bechstein; a different company name containing “Bechstein” should not be treated as the same maker merely because part of the name matches.
• The number exactly as written, including letters, leading zeros and visible gaps. Do not turn unreadable characters into guessed digits.
• Whether the marking is on the instrument itself or on its action or keyboard. Components can have their own numbers.

A year displayed on a medal is not evidence of the piano’s production year either. Distinguishing factory numbers, components and unreadable characters.

How to interpret the estimated year

A useful comparison depends on a factory number that belongs to the correct maker and instrument. An estimated year remains approximate; missing characters or uncertain identification may limit the conclusion. The company’s founding year does not date an individual piano.

Open the Atlas, select the C. Bechstein entry that matches the inscription, and enter the number you have read. Then check the notes accompanying the result. If you are unsure what the number identifies, resolve that question before treating a calculated year as established.

Look up C. Bechstein in the Piano Atlas