The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I have no serial # on my VV-111. It looks like it was never machined into the plate. The date on the sticker at the bottom of the unit is March 15, 1923. Why is there no serial number?

It looks like it was cut out of the plate for some reason. If it were unstamped, it would just be blank space on the metal plate, but you can see through to the wood. Is this the equivalent of removing a VIN from a car? Call the police!

It looks too perfect to have been removed by someone after production. That's what so strange about it. Have you ever heard of Victrola's without a serial number?

My guess is that it was involved in some sort of resale. That series of pre-orthophonic Victrolas was obsolete almost as soon as they were sold. I suspect many dealers still had new ones on the floor when the Orthophonic was introduced. Maybe a dealer going out of business sold his inventory at prices lower than the Victor company allowed and removed serial numbers in hopes of avoiding Victor's legal department. Just speculation... Jerry Blais

I have a Victrola Vi with a name plate which had the model and serial number bar neatly machined down, perhaps to obscure another designation, then stamped in the usual manner with the model and serial number (614,xxx). Not very important, but odd. Has anyone else noticed altered Victrola name plates?

I have a Victrola Vi with a name plate which had the model and serial number bar neatly machined down, perhaps to obscure another designation, then stamped in the usual manner with the model and serial number (614,xxx). Not very important, but odd. Has anyone else noticed altered Victrola name plates?

I have a couple of Victors with data plates like this and have seen others. The attached picture shows a very late Victor III with a shaved data plate. In the case of outside horn machines, it has seemed to be a case of needing a Victor plate (as opposed to the Victrola plate used after 1925) for a machine that was being shipped after 1925 (like this Victor III). I have seen shaved plates on earlier Victrolas such as yours however. I assume in this case it was a matter of having to meet a schedule when there were no blank plates in stock.

Uncle Vanya wrote:I have a Victrola Vi with a name plate which had the model and serial number bar neatly machined down, perhaps to obscure another designation, then stamped in the usual manner with the model and serial number (614,xxx). Not very important, but odd. Has anyone else noticed altered Victrola name plates?

How about a B over A?