How do I find the age of my piano from its serial number?

Most pianos have a serial number that can date them fairly closely. Open the lid and look on the cast iron plate inside, often near the tuning pins at the top of an upright or near the front of a grand. The number may also be stamped on the soundboard, the back of the case, or on the keybed under the keys.

Write down the serial number and the maker's name, which is usually on the fallboard above the keys and often cast into the iron plate. Published piano atlases and many makers' records list serial numbers by year, and searching the maker's name plus "serial number" often turns up a chart.

Keep in mind that many brand names were made by larger companies, and some names changed hands over the years, so a name alone can be confusing. Patent dates cast into the plate show the earliest possible date, not the year it was built.

Age by itself rarely makes a piano valuable. A piano technician can tell you whether the instrument is in good enough shape to be worth selling.