New & Improved Selmer Saxophone Serial Numbers Chart

The best Selmer saxophone serial number chart with tons of model-specific information below
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Serial Number Lookup

Quick Reference: Serial Numbers by Year (1927-1999)

Year Range
1927 5300 - 7280
1928 7281 - 9310
1929 9311 - 11670
1930 11671 - 13660
1931 13661 - 15630
1932 15631 - 17170
1933 17171 - 18600
1934 18601 - 20100
1935 20101 - 21530
1936 21531 - 23460
1937 23461 - 25300
1938 25301 - 27380
1939 27381 - 29060
1940 29061 - 29700
1941 29701 - 30360
1942 30361 - 30690
1943 30691 - 31470
1944 31471 - 31850
1945 31851 - 33230
1946 33231 - 33620
1947 33621 - 34920
1948 34921 - 37260
1949 37261 - 40290
1950 40291 - 43300
1951 43301 - 46340
1952 46341 - 49880
1953 49881 - 53190
1954 53191 - 57170
1955 57171 - 61650
1956 61651 - 65650
1957 65651 - 72500
1958 72501 - 77950
1959 77951 - 82960
1960 82961 - 89110
1961 89111 - 100320
1962 100321 - 103200
1963 103201 - 110300
1964 110301 - 119060
1965 119061 - 133930
1966 133931 - 138750
1967 138751 - 150000
1968 150001 - 160200
1969 160201 - 171800
1970 171801 - 181800
1971 181801 - 194300
1972 194301 - 207210
1973 207211 - 219120
1974 219121 - 232090
1975 232091 - 244730
1976 244731 - 259780
1977 259781 - 275980
1978 275981 - 288980
1979 288981 - 302650
1980 302651 - 314920
1981 314921 - 326950
1982 326951 - 339900
1983 339901 - 353410
1984 353411 - 366150
1985 366151 - 378210
1986 378211 - 391760
1987 391761 - 405670
1988 405671 - 421960
1989 421961 - 449330
1990 449331 - 456990
1991 456991 - 473570
1992 473571 - 488910
1993 488911 - 509360
1994 509361 - 517910
1995 517911 - 534800
1996 534801 - 550600
1997 550601 - 563890
1998 563891 - 579970
1999 579971 - 594230

Detailed Charts by Model

Serie 1922

Year Range Qty Notes
1922* 750 - 1130 380 Bell Stamp: Serie 1922

Modele 22

Year Range Qty Notes
1923* 1130 - 1700 570 Bell Stamp: Modele 22
1924* 1700 - 2900 1,200 *Estimate only, based on photo archive, with assumed production runs in multiples of 6.
1925* 2900 - 4100 1,200
1926* 4100 - 4500 280
Total 1130 - 4500 3,250

Modele 26

Year Range Qty Notes
1926* 4400 - 5300 1,860 Bell Stamp: Modele 26
1927 5300 - 7280 1,810 Qty rounded to nearest 10
1928 7280 - 8100 510 Body Numbers appear at 7k, numbers starting at 1000
Total 4400 - 8100 3,310 Shipped 1929-1954: 60. Shipped Date unknown: 70

Modele 28 (Alto only)

Year Range Qty Notes
1938 7600 - 8030 140 Bell Stamp: Modele 28

Large-Bore Era

Year Range Qty Notes
1928 8100 - 9310 910 No model stamp. Only Altos have a bore change.
1929 9310 - 11670 1,980 Soprano ends at 13980. Alto ends at 14000.
1930 11670 - 13660 1,660 Tenor ends at 13980. Bari ends at 14860.
1931 13660 - 15630 580 Shipped 1932-1947: 340. Shipped Date unknown: 140
Total 8100 - 15630 5,130

Super SSS

Year Range Qty Notes
1931 13950 - 15630 1,260 Tenor: Pre-Super 14k-17k, No SSS Soprano
1932 15630 - 17170 1,480 SSS on Altos from 14k, Baris from 15k, Tenors from 17k.
1933 17170 - 18600 1,420 Cigar-Cutter on Altos 14k - 19k (Tenor 17-19k)
1934 18600 - 18890 290 Geared Mech 17k - 19k (US only)
Total 13950 - 18890 4,450 Shipped 1935-1948: 80. Shipped Date unknown: 50

Radio Improved SSS

Year Range Qty Notes
1934 18890 - 20100 1,080 No Sopranos built.
1935 20100 - 20640 590 32 Baritones built. First 14 with keys on left side of bell, and last 18 with keys on right side.
1936 20640 - 21550 80
1937 23230 - 25610 90 After 20640, known as Late Radio Improved.
Total 18890 - 25610 1,850 Shipped 1936-1942: 20. Shipped Date unknown: 30

Dorsey SSS

Year Range Qty Notes
1938 25620 - 27450 12 Dorseys are stamped with "SSS", but not "Radio Improved".
1939 27450 - 28690 82 Alto production roughly 100, Tenor production roughly 24.
1940 29610 - 29620 2
Total 25620 - 29620 124 Shipped 1941-1943: 16. Shipped date unknown: 12

Balanced-Action

Year Range Qty Notes
1935 20640 - 21530 780 Alto starts at 20630, Tenor at 20900, Bari at 20640.
1936 21530 - 23460 1,920 No Soprano production until 31780.
1937 23460 - 25300 1,760 21.1k Alto serial number moves to back of body.
1938 25300 - 27380 1,840 22.7k Lower stack adj. screws move to back of body.
1939 27380 - 29060 1,500 29.6k Low Bb key redesigned.
1940 29060 - 29700 630 29.3k First alto with High F#
1941 29700 - 30360 710 29926-29999 no records of production for this range
1942 30360 - 30690 290 30.1k Lower Stack Part/guard appears
1943 30690 - 31470 470 31.3k-33k Black Pearls (early '45 to late '46)
1944 31470 - 31850 320 31.6k Tenor serial number moves to back of body.
1945 31850 - 33230 520 32.2k High F key redesigned
Total 20630 - 33250 12,550 Shipped 1947-1956: 100. Shipped date unknown: 550

Super-Action

Year Range Qty Notes
1946 33250 - 33620 80 Soprano starts at 36890. Alto starts at 33060.
1947 33620 - 34920 1,550 Tenor starts at 34060, Bari starts at 36260.
1948 34920 - 37260 2,290 35.5k Tenor bowbell Type 2 (no BCF bar, B foot on bell)
1949 37260 - 40290 2,640 35.8k Tenor bowbell Type 3 (CF gap, B foot on bow band)
1950 40290 - 43300 3,040 37.9k Tenor bowbell Type 4 (CF Gap, B foot on bell)
1951 43300 - 46340 3,090 38.6k Tenor bowbell Type 5 (no CF gap, B foot on bell)
1952 46340 - 49880 3,380 40.1k Low A Baritone postcards begin.
1953 49880 - 53190 3,520 47.2k Neck shield design change.
1954 53190 - 56640 3,450 47.2k Tenor separate B/Bb guards end.
1955 56640 - 61260 4,770 51.2k M serial number prefix appears.
Total 33250 - 61260 23,300 Shipped 1956-1983: 1000. Shipped date unknown: 170

Mark VI

Year Range Qty Notes
1954 54420 - 57170 1,580 Soprano starts at 68150. Alto starts at 55390.
1955 57170 - 61650 4,370 Tenor starts at 54420, Bari starts at 55290.
1956 61050 - 65650 5,400 "Mark VI" engraved on upper body, in Elkhart
1957 65650 - 72500 2,500 61.8k M serial number replaced by M
1958 72500 - 77950 4,820 Alto Short Bow ends at 75.5k, Medium Bow 75.5k - 87.4k.
1959 77930 - 82960 4,410 79.2k Bari Low A guard vs 2 feet, redesigned with 3 feet.
1960 82960 - 89110 6,070 Alto Long Bow 87.4k - 136k.
1961 89110 - 100320 6,080 91.2k US "Mark VI" engraving moves to bellbow band.
1962 100320 - 103200 6,130 94k French text removed from bell stamp.
1963 103200 - 110300 7,000 106k Low A Alto production begins.
1964 110300 - 119060 8,830 110k Side key ball joints appear on Alto. (118k on Tenor)
1965 119060 - 133930 9,780 129k Bell stamp simplified, city names removed.
1966 133930 - 138750 9,490 Alto Medium Bow 136k - 201k.
1967 138750 - 150000 11,250 140k connector bands redesigned, no knurled pattern.
1968 150000 - 160200 10,200 140k Vertical "Mark VI" stamp appears - stamped in France.
1969 160200 - 171800 11,440 142k "Mark VI" stamped in bellbow band, for US-market
1970 171800 - 181800 9,910 the VI is engraved in Elkhart after the stamp.
1971 181800 - 194300 10,910 Coloured Lacquer from 159k (pink, red, blue, bronze, black)
1972 194300 - 207210 12,680 Alto Medium/Short 201k+ (slightly shorter than before)
1973 207210 - 219120 12,010 208k Longer pinky guard.
1974 219120 - 232090 12,870 Soprano continues to 325k, Alto to 241k, Tenor 239k,
1975 232090 - 241000 8,910 Bari low Bb to 38k, Bari low A to 316k.
Total 54420 - 241000 184,310 Shipped 1976-1990: 1000. Shipped date unknown: 990

Mark VII

Year Range Qty Notes
1975 239700 - 244730 4,930 Alto and Tenor only except for a small number of Soprano and Baritone examples.
1976 244730 - 259780 11,570 Black Lacquer appears on roughly 70 examples.
1977 259780 - 275980 12,370 Alto - 262k Low B key linkage redesigned.
1978 275980 - 288980 10,680
1979 288980 - 302650 11,400 Alto - 283k Low C key linkage redesigned.
1980 302650 - 314920 10,740 284k Serial number changes from M. to N.
1981 314920 - 317880 4,710 Alto ends by 317880, Tenor ends by 317410.
Total 239700 - 317880 66,710 Shipped 1981-1982: 10. Shipped date unknown: 20

Super Action 80

Year Range Qty Notes
1981 317110 - 326950 8,830 Alto test runs from 300k to 316k. Full production at 317570.
1982 326950 - 339900 12,390 Tenor test runs 314k to 316k. Full production at 317110.
1983 339900 - 353410 12,740 No Soprano or Bass
1984 353410 - 366150 12,650 Black Lacquer appears on about 120 examples.
1985 366150 - 378210 12,120 56% were engraved and 11% were silver-plated.
1986 378210 - 390670 5,190 Alto production ends at 438890.
1987 390000 - 405670 500 Tenor production ends at 382550.
1988 405670 - 419380 410 Soprano continues to 390390.
1989 419380 - 435700 410 Baritone continues to 435700.
Total 317110 - 435700 65,590 Shipped 1990-1994: 60. Shipped date unknown: 20

Super Action 80 Serie II

Year Range Qty Notes
1986 380430 - 391760 7,870 Soprano starts at ~385220.
1987 391760 - 405670 14,560 Alto starts at 380440.
1988 405670 - 421960 15,580 Tenor starts at 380400.
1989 421960 - 449330 16,370 Baritone starts at 386600.
1990 449330 - 456990 14,870 From 38k White Lacquer on roughly 530 examples.
1991 456990 - 473570 16,210 Black Lacquer on roughly 4,190 examples.
1992 473570 - 488910 15,850 56% were engraved and 8% were silver-plated.
1993 488910 - 509360 15,280
1994 509360 - 517910 12,070 Production from 1986 to 1999 breaks down as follows:
1995 517910 - 534800 15,190 Soprano roughly 12,900 or 7% of the total.
1996 534800 - 550600 14,730 Alto roughly 120,500 or 63% of the total.
1997 550600 - 563890 11,110 Tenor roughly 52,500 or 27% of the total.
1998 563890 - 579970 15,790 Baritone roughly 5,700 or 3% of the total.
1999 579970 - 594200 8,950
Total 380420 - 594200 190,510 Super Action 80 Serie II production continues past 1999.

Super Action 80 Serie III (Small Bore)

Year Range Qty Notes
1993 475340 - 504840 630 Soprano only
1994 504840 - 519100 1,200 Remarquable neck appears - curved and straight.
1995 519100 - 534250 1,510 92% were lacquered, 60% lacquered and engraved.
1996 534250 - 548630 260 340 Silver plated, 22 gold plated.
Total 475340 - 548630 3,640 Shipped date unknown: 20

Serie III

Year Range Qty Notes
1996 537110 - 549730 1,140 1996 almost all Soprano, except for 75 Tenors.
1997 549730 - 563730 3,630 1997 Soprano and Tenor only.
1998 563730 - 579340 3,230 1998 Soprano and Tenor only.
1999 579340 - 595290 4,250 1999 Alto production starts at 591540.
Total 537110 - 595290 12,240 Serie III production continues past 1999.

Updated June 2023 - Douglas Pipher

The information on this page was produced using Selmer Paris archive records, as well as a photo archive of more than 125,000 images of Selmer Paris saxophones. It may be freely printed, shared or published.

About the Author

Douglas Pipher is a Canadian saxophonist, collector and researcher who has spent the last several years studying Selmer instruments with the goal of learning through primary research. He is planning a series of publications in order to help bring accurate Selmer history to light. This document may be freely shared, provided that it is identified as "Douglas Pipher's Improved Selmer Saxophone Serial Number Chart."

For further information, Douglas can be reached at: douglas@selmerhistory.com

© 2018 Douglas Pipher - Serial Number Chart - Version 4 - Published Dec 21, 2018 (Updated June 2023)

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