I have been trying to improve upon the generally-available serial number lists for Selmer (Paris) horns. Here's a start to that process. I'll update this as I receive significant new information. If you have anything to add to this please send me email , including the serial number, the date manufactured or bought new, and the source of the information (memory, receipt, etc). Thanks!

• S/N 24,8xx K-Modified was purchased new on June 20, 1962 at ) from Lively Music in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for $375
• S/N 25,0xx K-Modified was purchased new in Philadelphia at Knecht Music in late 1963
• S/N 27,3xx was reportedly purchased new in 1962.
• S/N 27,2xx was purchased new from the factory in Paris in April 1963.
• S/N 32,3xx was purchased new in 1964.
• S/N 32,4xx was purchased new in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1964 for "$300+"
• S/N 35,3xx was purchased new in 1966 (K-Modified lightweight, for "around" $300)
• S/N 38,6xx was purchased new in Seattle in 1966.
• S/N 43,1xx was purchased new in 1968.
• S/N 47,5xx was purchased new from the factory in 1970.
• S/N 47,8xx was made August 22 1970 according to the factory warranty card.
• S/N 50,2xx 4-valve piccolo trumpet bought at Sayerwood Music, Sayerville, NJ, in June 1972
• S/N 50,6xx large-bore radial was reportedly purchased new in Sidney, Australia in 1969.
• S/N 54,5xx radial was purchased new in 1974.
• S/N 57,9xx radial was purchased new in November 1973.
• S/N 62,9xx was purchased new in 1976.
• S/N 636xx was purchased new in 1976.
• S/N 67,532 was manufactured in June 1977 and shipped to Bach Elkhart for distribution.
• S/N 76,0xx was purchased new from the factory in Paris "around" 1980.
• Another Selmer S/N 76,0xx was purchased new on March 10, 1983, directly from H. Selmer et Cie, Paris. (from original receipt)
• Selmer model 80J S/N 85,909 was reportedly "made" in 1998.

I'm assuming that the 23,038 figure for 1960 is beginning-of-year. And I'm taking the purchases from the factory as manufacture dates. Therefore we have about 4200 horns made in the 40 months from 1/60 to 4/63, an average rate of roughly 1250 horns a year. From 4/63 to 1970 we had roughly 20,000 horns made, or roughly 3000 horns a year. And from 1970 to 1983, we get another 28,500 horns made in 13 years, which is about 2200 per year. I don't know whether these changes of production rate occurred suddenly or gradually. We don't have any real basis for picking the numbers so I'm going to allocate them smoothly for now.So here's a "stab" at beginning serial#'s by year:

1960	23,000
1961	24,300
1962	25,500
1963	26,600
1964	29,400
1965	32,500
1966	35,000
1967	38,800
1968	41,800
1969	44,800
1970	47,800
1971	51,100
1972	53,300
1973	56,000
1974	58,700
1975	60,900
1976	64,100
1977	67,300
1978	69,500
1979	71,700
1980	74,700
1982	76,300
1983	78,500

Pictured below, left-to-right: R Dale Olson (who later designed horns for Olds), Keith Ecker (who designed the K-Modified model), and Bob Ferguson (extraordinary trumpet player and, for 25 years, soloist with the U.S. Army band in Washington DC). Thanks to Dale Olson for the picture!!

MISCELLANEOUS MORSELS OF INFORMATION I HAVE RECEIVED

An article in the ITG Journal said that former Philly Orch. trumpeter Frank Kaderabek's favorite C trumpet was the Selmer Radial.

Large-bore Selmer Radial Bb trumpet S/N 50,6xx is marked B and 99 on the side of the leadpipe. The bore measures 0.470"

Selmer Radial Bb trumpet S/N 54,9xx is marked 75 and B on the leadpipe and measures 0.464"

One owner writes: Selmer produced horns in batches of 33, with valve numbers running consecutively 1-99. My horn's valves are numbered 4, 5, and 6. I have been told by Selmer factor reps that the reason for this odd numbering was that Selmer retained data on the honed bore diameter for each valve on each instrument, so that if someone ever damaged a valve, it could be exactly replaced with no loss of tone or intonation.

I have been informed that a particular Selmer Balanced Action, designated as a "25B" on the leadpipe, has a measured bore of 0.472".

Bore and/or Leadpipe designations
Many Selmer trumpets have numbers stamped on the leapipe. It is thought by some that these numbers originally referred to the leadpipe design (or perhaps leadpipe and bore combination). Perhaps the meaning evolved over time, because today the number is generally referred to as a bore designation. Here is some information from a 1956 Selmer brochure which addresses the meaning of these numbers at that time.
DESCRIPTION	ID#	BORE
medium-small	19	0.450"
medium	20	0.456"
medium-large	24B	0.458"
large	25"	0.468"

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