Singer 66 Red Eye Serial Number.
 

Hello,

I snagged a Singer 66 Red Eye on eBay last weekend. The serial number is 889955 which according to the Singer site puts this machine at 1872. Were these machines even manufactured then? Is there another place I can look for a serial number to confirm the age?

The seller did not mislead me. He noted the issue with the serial number but thought maybe it was just a badging mistake by Singer?

So, oh wise vintage machine owners, help me solve this mystery.

The unwise Gail

Sounds like it could be a modern reproduction made in China.

Gail,

A picture is worth a thousand words. I've not seen any new Chinese or eastern replicas of the66s, only the 15s. Not saying there isn't any, just I haven't seen any.

Is it possible you could have misread the number?

Joe

I agree, we need a good photo. I have seen a 66 where the first letter is actually half off the number plate, and of course painted over. I would bet cash money if I had any that the number starts with a G. Clean it up if it is dirty, and take a couple of pix, and post them.
I believe that 66's were first released in 1902.... but could easily be wrong.

I will get a few pictures today and post them. It does have wear and tear and does not look new-ish. I appreciate the insight.

Gail

Pictures of the Singer Red Eye
 

The base of the machine, underneath is stamped with SIMANCO USA 16. I took a bunch of pictures so let me know if you need any picture in particular.

Thank you!

Gail

More pictures. :-)

Gail

that's odd. It looks like an original Singer 66 but the serial numbers can't be right. The first two digits look like they are double stamped ... I suspect there is a letter prefix under the first digit ... probably a G. Hmmm ...

Isn't that odd? It really doesn't make any difference to me. I was just wondering if there is a second badge number hidden somewhere on the machine that I can look for for confirmation. I ran out today and bought a second machine but this one with a cabinet. It is Singer Sphinx 127 treadle. It was the woman's aunt's machine. Her name was Rose. It works, everything is there, it just needs a new belt.

Now I need to figure out how to use these darling things.

One thing for sure, she is VEERRRRY Pretty....where yours says "16" stamped on the underside, mine says "15" it has the G in front of it's serial number and is a 1923. Beautiful machine. Congrats. Mine pieces beautifully. Enjoy.

Yes, looks like the stamping machine misfired:>

Whatever??the numbers, that is one beautiful Red Eye, all cleaned up and in beautiful shape.

Beautiful machine, enjoy and lets see the other one too.

Oh, my, what a beauty!

I had hoped to see a lot more chatter about this serial number on a Singer Model 66. I guess everyone is just slack-jawed like me. I don’t know what to make of it either, except to remind Gail that she may have a real rarity there, or at the least an oddity, and that she would be wise to hang on to it.

When I reviewed the “G” serial number chart, I couldn’t explain away the serial number at all. I can’t see a shadow of a partial letter ahead of the multiple-stamped digits, but if there was a “G” under the first “8” (G89955), the number was supposed to be assigned to a 1910 Model 15. If the “G” was missing from in front of the first “8” (G889955), the number was supposed to be assigned to a 1910 Model 27. To go a bit further, since we can see the 889955, and speculate that the “G” had been omitted ahead of the visible numbers, and that 3 of those “8” numbers count (G8889955), that number was supposed to have been assigned to a 1921 Model 66. When I went through the rest of the available charts for other single leading letters, I didn’t find another combination that could work, if the first “8” is stamped over the single letter.

So it seems that it may or may not be simply a missing or covered “G”. The machine is not one of the earlier Model 66 machines, because it has a side-mount foot (that could have been changed along the line somewhere), and it has a hand crank boss on the pillar (that very doubtfully could have been changed along the line somewhere).

With those features in mind, I would suggest that the machine was made sometime after 1912, and sometime before 1925, so the G8889955 could actually work. But wouldn’t it be a kick if that machine was a prototype for the change-over to the Model 66 casting with the hand crank boss on it? Could the casting for the original machine 889955 (Model 27) have gotten damaged during production and discarded, so then the number was used for an experimental casting of the “new & improved” Model 66 casting?

WOW! What a great mystery! Thanks for sharing with us Gail!

CD in Oklahoma

Holy Cow! You really did some research on it. I wonder if it would be worth writing the Singer Company to see if they could shed some light. I know that the Singer Featherweights have two badge numbers. One visible and one hidden under the column of the machine. I had hoped that maybe this machine had something similar.

I think I will try writing Singer and see if they can help with this mystery. I snagged this machine on eBay for $105. I used esnipe to get it to. I wondered if I had paid too much but given the condition of the machine, I have no regrets.


Gail