Hints to find the serial number on an upright piano

Hints to finding the serial number or plank number on an upright piano :

Lift the top lid: Open the top lid of the piano and look inside, (where the strings and hammers are), the serial number, (also known as the plank number), is often on the metal plate or near the tuning pins, (top lid not the keyboard cover). 

Check the inside left or right end, the number may be stamped or impressed into the wood, this may be quite difficult to see or read and you may need very good light or a torch.

Check the back of the piano : sometimes, the serial number is located on the back of the piano, this can be on a sticker or stamp or even impressed into the wood or written on the soundboard. 

Look between the strings: If the lid or the top door is removed, check the wooden back panel (soundboard) between the strings for the number, there may also be a model here. 

Remove the fallboard or keyboard covering, also known as the fall : For some brands, the number may be on the side of the first or last key when the fall is removed.  

Take the bottom door out as sometimes it can be found on the soundboard in the bottom.

These locations will vary by manufacturer, some makes may have guides for your piano but this is more common with electronic goods rather than acoustic pianos.  The above are suggestions only, as each maker have their own way of numbering their pianos.  Remember there were hundreds of different makers and thousands of different brands and not all of them are listed or possible to date by number.

These are the most usual places but sometimes the number can be hidden somewhere, so in this case and you cannot find a number, it may be easier to date the piano based on style and casework. 

In some cases the number may refer to the “maker” rather than the “brand”, where the piano was made for a company by a maker and “badged” or branded for them with their company name or shop name.

On pianos sold by Robert Morley & Co. Ltd.,  you are likely to find a “M” number (often on a Dymo label) which is our number and how we trace our instrument in our ledgers.

Happy hunting