- Victor Victrola Serial Number Lookup Numbers This website is dedicated to phonographs made by The Victor Talking Machine Company from 1901 through 1929. It contains detailed information about the various models that were produced by Victor, along with rarity, design features, technical information, valuation, etc.
- The Victrola IV, an entry level tabletop introduced in 1911, sold over 600,000 machines in a fifteen year span. Even the Victrola XVIII, an expensive $400 bombe machine that was a monument to the cabinet maker's art, saw more than 3000 sales. In 1926 Victor introduced a series of Orthophonic Victrolas.
The Victor-Victrola Page
Victor Records Serial Numbers
Identifying Victor ProductsNote: To get information on your Victor or Victrola phonograph, including the rarity and date of manufacture, please read this page carefully, and then click the 'Product Information' link at the bottom of the page! If you have already read and understand this information, click here to skip this page.
Fortunately the process of identifying a Victor phonograph is not difficult. The Victor Talking Machine Company did an excellent job of providing model identification, along with a unique serial number for most models, which makes dating their phonographs a relatively easy task.
1919 GOLDEN OAK VICTOR VICTROLA VV XI PHONOGRAPH:1919 GOLDEN OAK VICTOR VICTROLA VV XI PHONOGRAPH: VV XI model serial number 543245 which dates to 1919. With crank, key and many extra needles. Measures; 1914 VICTOR VICTROLA VV XI WITH RECORDS:1914 VICTOR VICTROLA VV XI WITH RECORDS: Floor model mahogany veneer cabinet with lift top.
Every Victor phonograph has a metal dataplateaffixed either on or near the motorboard (for machines with lids), on the side of the phonograph (for most external horn and lidless models), or under the turntable. Every dataplate contains both amodel identification (stamped at the bottom on the left) and a serial number (on the right). Every model has an individual serialization.
Most dataplates will appearsimilar to the pictures below:
On the leftmost plate above, the model is a 'VV-XI'and the serial number is '836749'. 'VV' stands for Victor-Victrola. Some external horn machines have only a 'V' for Victor. Some models may use 'Type' or 'Style' before the model identifier. Some Victor phonographs use model names rather than numeric model designations (center picture). Tags may be located under the turntable for certain models made in the 1920's (right), requiring that the user lift the turntable off the machine. Using thisinformation, the hobbyist can proceed to the Product Information page (linked at the bottom of this page) to determine detailed information. The rest of the text on the top section of the dataplate relates only to copyright, trademark and patent dates (also denoted for buyers in Latin America and Japan).
In some cases, the dataplate mayhave corroded, and the small stamped serial numbers may be nearly impossible toread. It is usually possible to use a piece of very fine steel wool and GENTLYrub over the number so that it becomes visible. Too much pressure will damagethe plate and could remove the contrasting black paint on the plate. In other cases,cautious use of an exacto-knife can prove helpful.
Factory serialization of external horn Victor phonographs was very inconsistent. Accurately dating these external horn machines can be difficult (depending on vintage). Production started with serial number '1' for the machines that were introduced from 1901 through 1904. Following a catastrophic factory fire in 1904, the serial numbers for most models were reset back to '1' late in the year, and some were reset again in 1909. Therefore, there will be several identical serial numbers for most models. In addition, factory records for the earliest machines are incomplete. In these cases, we can only provide rough dating estimates for many external-horn phonographs.
Victrola (internal horn) phonographs started production at s/n 501, and ran consecutively until the model was discontinued. Therefore, each Victrola within the model grouping has it's own unique serial number. In some instances, large blocks of serial numbers were skipped in production, but since these 'skips' were well documented in the factory data, we are easily able to identify and date virtually all Victrolas. The few exceptions to the '501' starting serial number for Victrolas occur on prototype machines, and on some Canadian-built and Export models, which can have serial numbers below 100.
Many Victors and Victrolas will have a suffixletter after the serial number (see example on right). This letter can often be difficult to see, but is an important identifier. It indicates the 'Model Type', and can be useful in dating a machine. Each 'Type Letter' (e.g. 'A', 'B' etc.) indicates an iterative design change to the model. The picture on the right indicates Type 'D' series of the VV-XVI model series, and should be considered a part of the serial number for identification purposes. In some instances, a letter prefix may be found before the serial number (see examples below).
Victrolas that had electricallypowered motors (instead of the wind-up spring motor) featured a 'VE' prefix, anda often used a larger dataplate (left). These were called 'Electrolas'. Orthophonic Victrolas (made after 1925) with electric motors usedeither an 'X' suffix when the AC-only motor was used, or a 'U' when the AC/DC motor was installed. All 'VE' Victrolas had independent serialization from identical models of 'VV' (spring-wound) machines. Both started at serial number 501.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The presence of decals, metal tags, etc.with a dealer logo (e.g. 'Wurlitzer', 'Hudson's', 'Lyon and Healy', etc.) are simply advertising applied by the selling dealer, and do NOT signify that the Victor product was made by these sellers.
If you want additional explanations as to the meaning of other unique identifiers in Victor dataplates, please continue reading below. Otherwise, skip to the bottom of the page and click on the button to link directly to the model information search page.
Many Victrolas that were producedfrom late 1917 through 1918 will have a small 'A' suffix after the model number, which indicated that improvements were made to the motor (along with a price increase). This suffix was discontinued after 1918. See picture below left. Don't mistake this for a 'Type A' model, which would appearafter the serial number (as seen in the example above).
An 'C' suffix between the model ID and the serial number indicates a machine to be sold in Canada (below center). An 'E' between the model number and the serial number is a machine intended for export outside of the USA (below right). Other suffix letters are known to exist. The presence of suffix letters after the model identification neither adds nor detracts from value or rarity, as it is simply an indicator for production distribution management, or for service and repair personnel.
Victor products that were intended for sale in the Canadian market may have an additional 'Berliner Gram-0-Phone' tag underneath the ID tag. This denotes that the licensed seller was located in Canada. Some machines sold in Canada were produced at Victor's main Camden NJ plant, while others were made in the Berliner plant in Montreal, Canada. Please note that the original factory production logs for many machines with a 'C' or 'E' prefix have not been found. Many Canadian and export models are listed on the Product Information page, but dates and total production numbers are not available.
As stated above, most Victrola (internal horn) serialization started at 501 for each model, and ran sequentially through the production run. The example on the right is from the very first VE-360 that came off the assembly line. Large blocks of serial numbers were sometimes skipped when design revisions were made to a particular model. External-horn Victors started at s/n 1 in most cases, although factory records are incomplete from this era.
You may find a paper license sticker located on the back, the bottom or on an inside wall or underneath your Victor or Victrola photograph, depending on model (picture on right). This sticker has a veritable plethora of patent and copyright dates printed all over it. It is common for these stickers to have fallen off, or become damaged over time, and consequently, your phonograph may not have an intact one remaining. If you do find it, the most obvious date (Month, Day, Year) on the lower left corner of the sticker is often mistaken for the date that the machine was manufactured. The sticker was put there to indicate the licensing date to establish legal retail pricing, but it is not the date your particular machine came off the assembly line. In some instances, new stickers were re-applied by dealers many years after the machine was built. The sticker date can be as much as 4-5 years earlier than the actual date the machine was manufactured.
The Victor Victrola Model XVI Phonograph
An upright floor model, the Model XVI was the original internal-horn Victrola; first introduced in 1906, it remained the Victrola flagship model for many years. Although it was originally advertised as “Victrola the Sixteenth” (XVI), the metal identification tag first used a “VTLA” designation.
The first VTLA’s used the mechanics from the deluxe Victor 6 external horn phonograph, along with a flat-lid cabinet design that made access to the turntable rather difficult. In addition, unusual “L” shaped front doors were used to hide the record storage area. These early versions were made for Victor by the Pooley Furniture Company of Philadelphia (using Victor’s mechanics), but production was gradually transferred to Victor’s growing woodworking facilities. A selling price of $200.00 limited sales to relatively wealthy buyers. It is currently unclear as to the serial number of the first true production XVI, but it was likely around no. 100.
During the early months of production, Victor experimented with several designs, including a cabinet called the “Mertz”, which had a very boxy look, but retained the flat-lid. The earliest existent XVI/VTLA currently on record is serial number 406, which is of the Mertz design. In early 1907, the VTLA adopted a domed-lid design, allowing the turntable to sit nearly flush with the top of the cabinet. The “L” shaped storage doors were retained. This design became an immediate hit with the buying public, and became the standard lid configuration for Victrolas for nearly twenty years. Victor and Pooley shared production of these domed-lid models for a few years, and by 1909, Victor’s factory took over all manufacture of Victrola cabinets. The demand for these models exceeded Victor’s wildest dreams, and based on the public’s response, new lower-priced internal-horn models were quickly introduced.
In 1908, Victor introduced a super-deluxe VTLA model, advertised as “Victrola the Twentieth” (although this model was still tagged “VTLA”). This phonograph featured ornate carving (most versions had gold gilding covering the carving as well) and a unique “V” shaped mahogany veneer on the front doors. Selling for a whopping $300.00, this model was too expensive for the buying public, and it was discontinued in 1909. Unfortunately, “XX” production was intermixed with “XVI” models, and there is no unique dataplate identification to differentiate between the deluxe (XX) and standard (XVI) models. Thus, there is no clear way to determine how many XX’s were made. All XX’s have a standard “VTLA” dataplate.
An “A” suffix was added in mid-1909, and the metal tag was changed to indicate “VV-XVI” shortly afterwards. A few months later, the suffix was updated to “B”, and the ornate carving under the lid was removed, and the cabinet was widened slightly. The “Victor-Victrola” label under the lid was also changed at this time, now reading just “Victrola”. The “C” suffix series of early 1910 adopted the “tab” style brake (replacing the earlier bullet brake).
1911 saw the addition of a “D” suffix model, which included some minor changes to the mechanical design; an “E” suffix was added in 1912, wherein the cabinet design was significantly changed. The “L-doors” were eliminated, and the horn opening was widened. In addition, wooden slats were added inside the horn cavity. The crank was moved forward as well.
An “F” suffix was briefly used in 1913, which replaced the round speed control with the crescent bezel design and used a different style winding key (crank). Before the end of the year, the “F” was replaced with a “G” suffix, that included some additional minor mechanical changes. In early 1914, the “H” suffix was adopted, which replaced the circular speed control with the wide-window speed control/indicator and moved the crank position further back. The rear corner posts of the “H” (and subsequent) series are carved.
The “H” suffix remained until early 1917. At that time, the wide glass speed indicator was replaced with the small glass design, and suffices were dropped from the serial number. At the same time, the XVI adopted the “fat” tone arm, which was a forbearer of the soon-to-be-introduced No. 2 Soundbox.
No further design modifications were made to the XVI until it was discontinued in 1921. The last recorded serial number (from factory records) for the XVI was 197005.
The XVI was the first Victrola to add the electric motor option in 1913 (VE-XVI). Some VE-XVI’s have been found with a suffix letter after the serial number, but the exact design details related to the letters are still unknown. In addition, while factory records indicate that approximately 12,000 VE-XVI’s were made, VE-XVI’s with serial numbers as high as 15,900 have been found, indicating that at least 15,400 were manufactured (assuming a S/N 501 start in 1913). Many feature details and design changes of VE-XVI’s are still unknown. VE-XVI 521 has recently shown up at a phonograph show, and is currently the earliest existent one known.
Victor Victrola Serial Number Lookup Online
XVI’s were also made in a wide variety of special finishes, including the gold-painted Vernis Martin, Black Lacquer, Ebony, and many more. These machines are quite rare and valued by collectors today. Exact production numbers of these special finishes are still unknown.