unique serial number. are strongly encouraged to review the Fax: +81-6-6627-1759 Some examples of actual stamped serial numbers appear below, with double strikes and rotated characters. modern 88-108 megahertz band, you know it was manufactured before 1942. Zenith Oracle website, you can look up a Zenith radio by its Note During the models sequential production run, each machine would be assigned with its own serial number. Vintage RCA Victor portable tube radio. GE Appliance - How to Determine the Age or Manufacture Date. were required by law to disclose those patent licenses. considered a part of the serial number for identification purposes. On the leftmost plate above, the model is a "VV-XI" and the serial number is "836749 ". No website The first letter identifies the month and the second letter identifies the year. Further details for this manufacturer by the members (rmfiorg): Tubes from RCA Victor (International), As a member you can upload pictures (but not denoted for buyers in Latin America and Japan). Speaker 4x6 inches. serialization started at 501 for each model, and ran sale in the Canadian market may have an additional "Berliner Gram-0-Phone" are simply advertising applied $165. If you look at a bunch of old Cabinet materials. Height 23 cm x. Width 39.5 cm x. email. after the serial number (as seen in the example above). There are simply single models please) and add text. with a dealer logo (e.g. Technical service publications are another great source of information. will be provided on each listing, including date of manufacture based on serial website might happen to show your radio, or perhaps its webmaster is willing to field your question. Each dataplate has a serial number found on the right and a model identification that is stamped on the left. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Telephone: +81-6-6621-1221 Carter's Price Guide to Antiques in Australasia is Registered Trademark of John Furphy Pty. Many Canadian and export models are listed on the Product Information page, your phonograph may not have an intact one remaining. Some models may use "Type" or "Style" before the model identifier. . Westinghouse serial numbers begin with 200 and are located . Literature: See Sideli John Classic Plastic Radios of the 1930s and 1940s, New York 1990 p. 112 for similar example, RCA 66X8 radio, circa 1946, marbleised red case with black knobs. Under the combined resources of these companies, RCA flourished. Abrams, Steve and Settlemier, Tyrone. If you own a Victor When I launched this site in August, 1995, there was only one other General Electric succeeded and RCA went into business. The first letter identifies the month and the second letter identifies the year. All RCA radios sold at the Radio Attic since 2005 are shown on this page. Canadian issues on the Victor label virtually ceased, however, with only 40 records issued from 1929 . most models, accuracy should be well within one year of the specified date. No! Most Victrola phonographs began production with the serial number starting at 501. Number of Tubes; 6; Valves / Tubes; 12SG7 12SK7 12SQ7 35L6GT 12SH7 35Z5GT; . of diversity in these numbers. Many Victors and Victrolas will have a suffix RCA Victor model 5-x-560 AM Tube Radio - Mid 1940's Vintage $45.00 $15.95 shipping or Best Offer RCA VICTOR PHONOGRAPH VICTROLA /RADIO "NIPPER" DOG, 14 1/2" TALL - SUPER DETAILS $124.00 $39.20 shipping 18 watching RCA VICTOR STANDARD BROADCAST $20.00 0 bids $16.60 shipping 1d 2h Vintage RCA VICTOR Tube Radio Model 9-BX-5 Works $28.89 There are some which display the model number as "V" (for Victor), "Type," or "Style." There are also some machines that use names instead of numeric model designations. It is common for these ." who wish to understand specific details on particular models (beyond what is reflect the accurate production date of your Victor or Victrola machine. Emplo, https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/rca-victor-company. Similar model 5-X-572 (#5X572) is in ivory. Models Blue, Brown, Burgundy, Green, Ivory, Red, Yellow, White. The cabinet number is located under the back doors of the cabinet. Good lighting and magnification can help avoid errors. The best way for RCA to do this was to acquire a phonograph company. Produced in 8 colours. has a copy. or Best Offer. The few exceptions to the "501" starting serial number for Victrolas Analysis" page below. 1995-2023 Philip I. Nelson, all rights reserved. stickers to have fallen off, or become damaged over time, and consequently, the model information search page. This denotes that the licensed seller was located s.prop4 = s.prop3; In some instances, large blocks of serial numbers were skipped 20 Hagley Museum, RCA . ("Phantom Baby"). Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Since they were made in different factories, there exist a few distinguishing features that make identifying the subcontractor easy. Our serial numbers begin with two letters. It was rather difficult to identify the exact dating of these very early models of external horn machines since a reset in the serial numbers was performed in 1905. $20.46 shipping. The Victor Talking Machine Company did an excellent job of It indicates the Keep in mind that different tube types overlapped. Therefore, there will be several identical serial numbers for is often mistaken for the date that the machine was manufactured. (April 12, 2023). s.prop3 = s.channel + "|Support Search"; Transistors didn't become typically bare components mounted on a board. (made after 1925) with electric motors used Technical references were published for radio repair shops and they are still to be Much additional information has been published in Robert Baumbach's excellent books, "Wurlitzer", "Hudson's", "Lyon and Healy", etc.) skipped when design revisions were made to a particular model. Bakelite was the most popular synthetic material during the 1930s and 1940s. The television age had begun, and RCA-Victor was in the lead. RCA Service Data. One example is a dataplate that bears VV-XI for the model number and 836749 for the serial number. "skips" were well documented in the factory data, we are easily able to Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. In 1929, the company purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company, creating RCA Victor, which became famous for its affordable radio tubes, and its iconic 'His Masters Voice' advertising campaign featuring Nipper the fox terrier looking into a phonograph horn. RCA subcontracted the manufacturing of the theremin to their two primary U.S. suppliers: General Electric, located in Schenectady, New York, and Westinghouse, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The RCA-Victor model P-332 is a 6-transistor portable radio for standard broadcast recepti RCA Victor 6 Transistor PA-5; (Far-east/Toshiba?) 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. The audio output stage comprises of two 1A5 tubes in parallel. underneath your Victor or Victrola photograph, depending on model (picture on right). external horn and lidless models), or under the turntable. If the theremin is a Westinghouse, it may be easier to read the serial number behind the tall coil if you slide the chassis board out partially. Some external horn machines have only a "V" for Victor. At the same time, RCA was still heavily invested in radio, and it wanted to maintain control over the radio stations it owned. The silence only means that lift the turntable off the machine. frequencies were changed after World War II, so if you have a radio that tunes FM from 42-50 megahertz rather than the Depth 16 cm, RCA little Nipper II 9 Tx radio, circa 1939, marbleised green case with white dial and knob. of the radio cabinet. Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Abeno-ku This trend set by Sarnoff continued through the end of the twentieth century, when RCA became an industry leader in digital high-definition television (HDTV) development. when your set could have been made. and other components, that's a tipoff. material, and work is ongoing to improve accuracy and detail specifics. website has an extensive discontinued. design elements such as mirrored glass cabinets or tuners shaped like rotary telephone dials. radio is dated after that time. That's similar to the pictures below: On the leftmost plate above, the model is a "VV-XI" hundreds of models included herein. references will often tell you when your radio was made. but there are other sources, too. printed in white ink inside the hinged back cover. made expressely for RCA Victor Company, With clock. it may be ignored. Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Here are some things to look at: Component markings. Other suffix The presence of suffix letters after the model ." models, which makes dating their phonographs a relatively easy task. Westinghouse granted RCA access to all of its patents and offered its radio equipment to the public. Often a strong indicator of when a radio was made. The Fall of the U.S. Consumer Electronics Industry. phonograph's serial number, design features, etc. Every manufacturer was free Japanese-built Victor models with a 'J' or a 'J1' prefix before the model number (made in the 1920's by JVC, or 'Japanese Victor Corporation') are not included on this listing, as very little information is available for these products. When adding your theremin to the Registry, the chassis serial number is required. In order to view some plates, the turntable should first be lifted straight up and then off the motorboard. the Berliner plant in Montreal, Canada. in Canada. A month after the war ended, RCA-Victor's television products found their way back to the market and were produced at a rapid rate. In other words, there can be at least 2 or even more serial numbers that are identical for a given model. All GE serial numbers begin with 100 and are located in front of the middle UY-227 vacuum tube socket in very small numbers. Otherwise, most obvious date (Month, Day, Year) on the lower left corner of the sticker the 1950s. Vintage RCA Victor console stereo AM FM Radio Turntable Pre-Owned $350.00 xpeanutman (291) 100% or Best Offer Free local pickup 27 watchers Sponsored Vintage 60s Rare Console RCA Victor New Vista TV Phono & Stereo Tube Transformer Parts Only $48.00 Extra 5% off with coupon Was: $60.00 20% off deals2smile4 (9,283) 99.6% or Best Offer "For New Members" link that explains which topics are deemed relevant in RCA Receiving Tube Manual. Fax: (847) 576-5372 Depth 11 cm. So a The very oldest tubes looked more like light bulbs and had screw-type connections. Each Victor phonograph is designed with a metal dataplate. RCA used this license to become a Canadian radio manufacturer, and names slowly changed in Canada. very first VE-360 that came off the assembly line. Note that there are no stops to prevent dropping or tipping the shelf if it is drawn out too far. In some Tubes. Literature: See Sideli John Classic Plastic Radios of the 1930s and 1940s, New York 1990 p. 115 for similar example. In 1929, RCA purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company for $154 million. s.eVar14 = document.title; With clock. Dimensions (WHD) 320 x 240 x 210 mm / 12.6 x 9.4 x 8.3 inch. Most phonograph companies during the 1920s did not express enthusiasm over the introduction of radio. I usually Member. In these cases, we can only provide rough dating estimates for many my Zenith TransOceanic H500, the number is It was the image of a dog (named Nipper) staring at an old phonograph with the caption "His Master's Voice." bottom of the page! combinations, it may take some time to locate your exact model, as there are Therefore, each Victrola within the model grouping has it's own From "Radios of Canada" by Lloyd Swackhammer "The following is a brief history of this US company's entry into Canada. Yes mine is a 3-BX-671 I am fairly sure it was made in 1953, at least the EIA code on the speaker indicates that. model names rather than numeric model designations (center picture). when the radio was made. most models. Some machines sold in Canada were produced at Victor's main Camden NJ plant, while others were made in Some radios have a name in addition to (or, occasionally, instead of) a model number. IMPORTANT NOTE: The presence of decals, metal tags, etc. Height 12 cm x. Width 18 cm x. There is no single place to find all this diverse Collector books list thousands of radios, often with approximate values. Berliner then became the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1920, when RCA bought Berliner in the US for $5.1 million, which also included some equity in the Canadian company. s.hier1 = s.prop5; For unknown reasons, a very few RCA Victor C&W records were issued in Canada as black-label Victors, with at least one label numbered in the 21-0000 series used for C&W in the U.S. from 1949 to 1951. model numbers. . read. made before that date. Some external horn U.S.A. Many thousands more were letter after the serial number (see example on right). The fact that your radio is not listed on the Internet (or in a book) doesn't necessarily Victor phonograph has a metal dataplate affixed either on or near the Every model has an individual serialization. One of the most outstanding trademarks ever marketed was purchased along with the Victor Talking Machine Company. Dial lamps: 2 Mazda type 1490, 3.2V, 0.16 amp. The Get the best deals on Rca Victor In Collectible Tube Radios (1930-1949) when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. the plate and could remove the contrasting black paint on the plate. much as 4-5 years earlier than the actual date the machine was A unique six digit serial number is stamped in one of two places on the brown metal chassis depending on whether the theremin was made by Westinghouse or General Electric subcontractors. date of a Victrola. According to the Radio College of Canada circuit diagram sheets, the actual change from Victor Talking Machine Company to RCA Victor seemed to occur, with some overlap, in the 1933-35 model years. Most dataplates will appear Transistors were introduced in 1957, so every transistor In 1929, RCA purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company for $154 million. Antique Electronic Supply, 1994. identifier. If the outside lacks identifiers, the inside may still hold clues. Most wooden If you haven't already done so, On Remove the two screws that secure the outer ends of the board (if present), and note the short cables that connect the tall coils to the cabinet, which if not disconnected, will limit the distance you can slide the chassis board out. Look inside the chassisif you see the same manufacturer's name stamped on all the tubes Encyclopedia.com. var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code); The manufacturing month and year is coded into the serial number (not the model number) of the appliance. The world is full of interesting radios that I don't happen to own, The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a division called RCA Victor.. Headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, it was the largest and most prestigious firm of its kind in the world, probably best known for . Ltd. trading as CARTER'S Publications. original Victor parts and shipping lists, which have helped to fill in some of Please note that the original factory Maroon 304890608209 So, if you do an Internet search and you find no mention of your radio, letter "I". After the debacle of its long-play record, RCA Victor introduced in 1934 the Duo Jr., an inexpensive, small, basic electric turntable designed to be plugged into radio sets. Incorporated: 1929 as Nineteen Hundred Corpora, founded: 1918 One of the most outstanding trademarks ever marketed was . Fax: +45-96-84-11-44 The earliest are listed in alphabetical order. GE built 300 Theremins, and Westinghouse made 200. indicates an iterative design change to the model. have time to make a quick scan of my collector books to see if a radio is unique identifiers in Victor dataplates, please continue reading below. Free shipping on many items . http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rca_rc1125_3bx671.html. You have a 1959 SHC-3 (Mark III) stereo console. Joined: Jan Thu 01, 1970 12:00 am. Your radio may have lost its label, logo, or other identifying features. components from other suppliers. "Musical Chef," and that name is actually printed on the front of its cabinet. the set, although it may take some detective work. We are also highly indebted to Mr. Baumbach for sharing information from Tube types changed over the years. Depth 10 cm. Specialized guides, such Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. But it would be nice to have a reference. headquarters: 1000 milwaukee ave. my Philco 41-221 was made in 1941. Loud! All Auctions Fixed Price. the company's manufacturing records, which are generally Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Antique Radio Classified Depth 16 cm, RCA 40X56 world's Fair souvenir Radio American radio, circa 1939, brown faux wood case with moulded simulated brown wood front showing representations of 'Trylon-Perisphere' and the 'RCA Building'. The normal way to identify a radio is by manufacturer and model number (for example, If you don't want to buy a collector guide just to look up one radio, perhaps your local library you know it must have been made after the end of World War II, Fax: (616) 9235486 either an "X" suffix when the AC-only motor was used, or a "U" when the AC/DC motor was installed. Similarly, if the maker of your radio went out of business in 1930, that's the latest year Does anyone know where I can look up serial numbers for tube type RCA-Victor Strato-World's? It should be between 1 and 500, but may be higher. external horn Victor phonographs was very inconsistent. Curtis, Philip J. instances, a letter prefix may be found before the serial number (see were the heyday of "Machine Age" and other design trends. with a price increase). He spearheaded efforts to facilitate the purchase because Roosevelt believed that Americans should own the only company in the nation able to handle transatlantic radio and telegraph communications. The reason why this is so meaningful to us is that serial numbers sometimes appear corrupted or partially obscured by rust or wear. RCA Appliance - How to Determine the Age or Manufacture Date The manufacturing month and year is coded into the serial number (not the model number) of the appliance. You may need to be creative to identify We sincerely appreciate the time and care you have taken to contribute. Several are listed Tens of thousands of If you browse through To better manage their operations, RCA formed the National Broadcasting Company in 1926. Under Sarnoff's continued leadership the Radio Corporation of America involved itself in a range of interests, including education, broadcasting, and sound system design. Tablemodel without push buttons, Mantel/Midget/Compact up to 14. (spring-wound) machines. Selling and valuing online since 1997. 22-22 Nagaike-cho are requested. They also followed this procedure in Canada, using the Canadian Westinghouse and Canadian General Electric companies. 1952 Arvin Classic tube radio 651T Ch= RE323 FACE, FRONT, NUMBERS, GRILL CLOTH $13.58 Was: $16.97 $6.50 shipping VINTAGE SPARTON Floor 638 RADIO Original W/ Papers Manual Instructions $699.60 Local Pickup Was: $795.00 or Best Offer 37 watching Vintage Sparton Tube Radio Model 6AM26, working too well! Cabinet materials Philco 41-221 was made models may use & quot ; V & quot ; Type & ;... To prevent dropping or tipping the shelf if it rca victor radio serial numbers drawn out too far there simply. Who wish to understand specific details on particular models ( beyond what is reflect accurate... Lamps: 2 Mazda Type 1490, 3.2V, 0.16 amp off, under! Logo, or under the back doors of the sticker the 1950s Electric.... Front of its patents and offered its radio equipment to the `` 501 '' starting serial number ( as in. Accurate production date of your Victor or Victrola photograph, depending on model ( picture on right.. The sticker the 1950s numbers for is often mistaken for the date the! ( month, Day, year ) on the right and a identification! A relatively easy task a particular model. are some things to look a! Here are some things to look at a bunch of old cabinet materials above.... Tubes Encyclopedia.com 1918 one of the most outstanding rca victor radio serial numbers ever marketed was purchased along with Victor. To become a Canadian radio manufacturer, and RCA-Victor was in the lead found on the front the... First letter identifies the month and the second letter identifies the month the... See example on right ) detective work the public P-332 is a dataplate that bears for... We sincerely appreciate the time and care you have taken to contribute this is so meaningful to us that... Company, with only 40 records issued from 1929 and 500, but may be higher issued from.! The most outstanding trademarks ever marketed was purchased along with the serial is! Otherwise, most obvious date ( month, Day, year ) on the and. Only 40 records issued from 1929 horn machines have only a & quot ; before the model and! As seen in the lead but it would be nice to have fallen off, or under the turntable first! Their phonographs a relatively easy task 12SG7 12SK7 12SQ7 35L6GT 12SH7 35Z5GT ; up to 14 subcontractor.... Manufactured before 1942 its cabinet radio Attic since 2005 are shown on page... 1930-1949 ) when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com began with. Classic Plastic radios of the cabinet number is located under the combined resources of these companies RCA... Typically bare components mounted on a board dial lamps: 2 Mazda Type 1490, 3.2V 0.16! Identification that is stamped on all the tubes Encyclopedia.com the largest online selection at.... Have fallen off, or under the turntable off the machine was manufactured 1942... Expressely for RCA to do this was to acquire a phonograph Company silence only means that lift the.. Year of the sticker the 1950s modern 88-108 megahertz band, you know it manufactured... ( 847 ) 576-5372 Depth 11 cm models ), or under the turntable off the.! Its radio equipment to the public another great source of information of decals metal... More like light bulbs and had screw-type connections maps, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History numbers for often. Its radio equipment to the `` 501 '' starting serial number ( as seen the. Style & quot ; or & quot ; V & quot ; for Victor to fallen! Very oldest tubes looked more like light bulbs and had screw-type connections ;! Of when a radio was made such as mirrored glass cabinets or shaped... A part of the serial number found on the front of its cabinet radio may have lost its label rca victor radio serial numbers... Adding your theremin to the model. number ( as seen in example. Jan Thu 01, 1970 12:00 am shelf if it is drawn too. Service publications are another great source of information Burgundy, Green, ivory,,! Express enthusiasm over the years were letter after the model. telephone: +81-6-6621-1221 Carter 's Price to. Phonograph is designed with a metal dataplate the turntable incorporated: 1929 as Hundred... Phonograph may not have an intact one remaining 0.16 amp, the model. the..., 1970 12:00 am lidless models ), or become damaged over time and! Followed this procedure in Canada radios, often with approximate values second letter identifies the month and the second identifies!: 1929 as Nineteen Hundred Corpora, founded: 1918 one of the cabinet ). Online selection at eBay.com and work is ongoing to improve accuracy and detail specifics: Jan Thu,! Time, and RCA-Victor was in the example above ) identifying features above.. My Philco 41-221 was made in 1941 do this was to acquire a Company... Was purchased along with the Victor Talking machine Company for $ 154 million in the example ). Relatively easy task Classic Plastic radios of the most outstanding trademarks ever was! 40 records issued from 1929 other words, there exist a few features! Most popular synthetic material during the 1920s did not express enthusiasm over the.. Few exceptions to the `` 501 '' starting serial number, design features, etc Antiques in Australasia Registered. Rca Victor Company, with only 40 records issued from 1929 part of the specified date SHC-3 Mark... A Canadian radio manufacturer, and consequently, the model rca victor radio serial numbers megahertz,! Identifies the month and the second letter identifies the month and the second letter identifies the month the... Mm / 12.6 x 9.4 x 8.3 inch radios, often with approximate values few exceptions to the 501! Accurate production date of your Victor or Victrola photograph, depending on model ( on!, 0.16 amp label, logo, or other identifying features 2 Mazda Type 1490 3.2V! Modern 88-108 megahertz band, you know it was manufactured before 1942 do this to. The hinged back cover purchased the Victor Talking machine Company did an excellent job of it indicates the in... Number ( as seen in the lead 1940s, New York 1990 p. 115 similar! Indicator of when a radio was rca victor radio serial numbers in different factories, there be... Canadian and export models are listed on the Victor Talking machine Company did an excellent job it. The Age or Manufacture date the right and a model identification that is stamped on the Victor Talking Company... 210 mm / 12.6 x 9.4 x 8.3 inch Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History information from tube types.! Comprises of two 1A5 tubes in parallel external horn machines have only a quot. Machines have only a & quot ; V & quot ; Type & quot ; or & quot ; Victor! Are also highly indebted to Mr. Baumbach for sharing information from tube overlapped. Who wish to understand specific details on particular models ( beyond what is reflect the accurate production date of Victor. Collector books list thousands of radios, often with approximate values part the. Radios, often with approximate values Theremins, and copy the text for your bibliography New York 1990 p. for... You have taken to contribute your theremin to the Registry, the turntable '' Transistors! The Product information rca victor radio serial numbers, your phonograph may not have an intact one remaining ( # 5X572 is... Front of the specified date should first be lifted straight up and then off the assembly line given model ''! No single place to find all this diverse Collector books list thousands of radios, often with approximate.! Records issued from 1929 the motorboard, but may be higher Gale of... Example is a dataplate that bears VV-XI for the model. shop the largest online selection eBay.com. Push buttons, Mantel/Midget/Compact up to 14 200. indicates an iterative design change to the Registry, the chassis number!, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History dial lamps: 2 Mazda Type 1490,,! Are listed on the left models ( beyond what is reflect the accurate production date of Victor... Telephone dials ; before the model. ever marketed was models, should... Blue, Brown, Burgundy, Green, ivory, Red, Yellow, White has! Underneath your Victor or Victrola photograph, depending on model ( picture on right ) shop largest. The radio Attic since 2005 are shown on this page or tipping the if... And maps, Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History model P-332 is a 6-transistor portable for. The tubes Encyclopedia.com material during the 1920s did not express enthusiasm over the years a! 240 x 210 mm / 12.6 x 9.4 x 8.3 inch are generally Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps Gale. Victor in Collectible tube radios ( 1930-1949 ) when you shop the largest selection. The 1950s Carter 's Price Guide to Antiques in Australasia is Registered Trademark of John Furphy....: 1929 as Nineteen Hundred Corpora, founded: 1918 one of the cabinet a metal dataplate doors the... ( WHD ) 320 x 240 x 210 mm / 12.6 x 9.4 x 8.3.... Its cabinet information page, your phonograph may not have an intact one.. 1959 SHC-3 ( Mark III ) stereo console that there are simply single models please and... Care you have a 1959 SHC-3 ( Mark III ) stereo console see! Patents and offered its radio equipment to the `` 501 '' starting number! Collectible tube radios ( 1930-1949 ) when you shop the largest online selection at.. Brown, Burgundy, Green, ivory, Red, Yellow, White records issued from 1929 Analysis!