How old is my Mosler safe? Year of Manufacture Serial Number

[Squelchtone]

How old is your Mosler safe? The company is long gone, but there is some information available which should help you narrow down which year your safe was manufactured.

The information in this post is from this page: http://boemosler.freeservers.com/serial.htm
*The information is not from the factory and is not verified. Reading other posts on the web it seems this list was taken from a guy named WIll who kept his own list, and another safe expert named Andy believes there are errors in this list, so please only use it as a general guide for fun and not to decide what a safe is worth for auction, etc.*

SAFE SERIAL NUMBERS CROSS REFERENCED TO MANUFACTURING DATES

The following list indicates the first serial number assigned at the beginning of each year.

From 1946 through 1989 all serial numbers were suffixed with a dash and an additional number(s) which indicated the number of a specific unit manufactured in that lot group (i.e., 12345-52 = the fifty-second unit built under lot number 12345 during 1956).

.Prior to 1946, the numbers were referred to as “handle” numbers - usually stamped on the handle of the safe.

Note that serial numbers beginning with 30,000 are used on safes being manufactured at Orangeburg, SC; and no longer include “dash” numbers.

Year Number
1992 32400
1991 31315
1990 29380
1989 29100
1988 28835
1987 28513
1986 28133
1985 27669
1984 27284
1983 26959
1982 26740
1981 26434
1980 25989
1979 25486
1978 25118
1977 24701
1976 24327
1975 24041
1974 23661
1973 23156
1972 22472
1971 21787
1970 21090
1969 20375
1968 19650
1967 19020
1966 18139
1965 17291
1964 16688
1963 16044
1962 15455
1961 14878
1960 14338
1959 13676
1958 13144
1957 12623
1956 12214
1955 11848
1954 11544
1953 11253
1952 10881
1951 10570
1950 10131
1949 9851
1948 9507
1947 9266
1946 9024
1945 438547
1944 428744
1943 421321
1942 391329
1941 372831
1940 364880
1939 359691
1938 355991
1937 351836
1936 346504
1935 342731
1934 338601
1933 334952
1932 331904
1931 327160
1930 323417
1929 318541
1928 314038
1927 309379
1926 305989
1925 303898
1924 302663
1923 301415
1921 290469
1920 287743
1919 278839
1918 273388
1917 271009
1916 265585
1915 258394
1914 253174
1913 247403
1912 239225
1911 231134
1910 222927
1909 213388
1908 205674
1907 199264
1906 190882
1905 183574
1904 176237
1903 168668
1902 161418
1901 153849
1900 146889
1899 140451
1898 135318
1897 130880
1896 125947
1895 121102
1894 115767
1893 110461
1892 106257
1891 100046
1890 95530
1889 90196
1888 84617
1887 78657
1886 50717

Hope this helps someone out!
Squelchtone

[smokingman]

Thank You!

[johnb007]

Great data. Maybe some should start a Database (with web front end) to track safe serial numbers and correlate the dates as one of the fields.

[1880sMosler]

A few weeks ago a new friend showed me a large old safe. I restore all kinds of objects, and especially liked that it had cast iron rope molding around the door. Insuspected t stylistically, to be circa 1880.
Anyway, I went back to see if he would sell it, and noticed it wasn't there-but a huge dumpster full of ibeams axles, engine blocks-was on the property and about to be hauled for scrap. The safe was at one end, underneath it all!
Well, I paid the owner to move off what impinged on it and pull it out. So, now it's mine. It was just too good looking. Although what was left of the paint looked as though it had been buried outside for years...
It looks like the old (then) Mosler safe in the 1930s photo that google images returns. Luckily the handle turns and it opens, although the dial knob is completely seized.
Once I get the safe home, not sure how yet, especially as one cast iron rear wheel is cracked off and missing), I plan to restore it. It does I nclude a dolly it was on, and which does roll.
My main questions for now are, how old is this safe? It has a number in the 11,000-11,500 range stamped on handle. Also, a lone 4 is also stamped above that number. According to the numbers list here, I can only be certain it is pre-1886. That range was repeated in the early 50s, but it's clearly a 10th C. safe. Many thanks in advance for any help.

[Squelchtone]

A few weeks ago a new friend showed me a large old safe. I restore all kinds of objects, and especially liked that it had cast iron rope molding around the door. Insuspected t stylistically, to be circa 1880.
Anyway, I went back to see if he would sell it, and noticed it wasn't there-but a huge dumpster full of ibeams axles, engine blocks-was on the property and about to be hauled for scrap. The safe was at one end, underneath it all!
Well, I paid the owner to move off what impinged on it and pull it out. So, now it's mine. It was just too good looking. Although what was left of the paint looked as though it had been buried outside for years...
It looks like the old (then) Mosler safe in the 1930s photo that google images returns. Luckily the handle turns and it opens, although the dial knob is completely seized.
Once I get the safe home, not sure how yet, especially as one cast iron rear wheel is cracked off and missing), I plan to restore it. It does I nclude a dolly it was on, and which does roll.
My main questions for now are, how old is this safe? It has a number in the 11,000-11,500 range stamped on handle. Also, a lone 4 is also stamped above that number. According to the numbers list here, I can only be certain it is pre-1886. That range was repeated in the early 50s, but it's clearly a 10th C. safe. Many thanks in advance for any help.

Hello,
A picture is worth 1000 words, if you can upload it that will help. Roping around the door tells me it's old, that was a fad for a while in the mid 1800's

Last I heard and this may be incorrect, Mosler records were lost in a fire long ago, so all you can do is find other owners who are near your range and have the same number. or is it really all that important to know it was made in 1881 vs 1882? It's not like a 1965 Mustang where I can find the build sheet and tell you it was made on a Tuesday at 3pm on the 10th of July in 1964, there's just nothing that detailed when you go back that far in time, especially in the lock and safe world.

At best if there is a patent on anything, you can say that that's the year of the safe, but more than likely it is safe to go back another 5 years or so.

cant wait to see the pics, pic posting instructions are located on the top blue toolbar on the top right of the forum.
Thanks,
Squelchtone

[GWiens2001]

Three things we need to help. Pictures, pictures and pictures. The overall safe, the door, the handle, the hinges, the casters, etcetera. Also the overall measurements.

As for how to move it - a tow truck. Seriously.

Gordon

[1880sMosler]

Hey guys, sorry! I was home sick with a high fever, it took 20 minutes to write my post on my ancient phone, and I have no internet at the farm. Got to internet café today, so here's the few photos I took:







Hope these help, I'll try and get more/clearer photos soon. I think this may be a Mosler Bahmann, and as to the date, I was more wondering, what was their first year of business?

And, does the '4' above the serial number refer to the lock being a S&G #4 Dial?

[GWiens2001]

Can't read anything on the dial picture. But the safe is a beauty!

Gordon

[1880sMosler]

Yes. Beauty is what I thought, unusual for a sate anyway...

Had I exessed interest when first shown her, I could have had her for $50-100. But paying the extra $100 for having her extracted from under a ton of steel in the scrap metal dumpster was well worth the satisfaction of saving her.

I didn't have my glasses with me that day and couldn't read the dial either, but I imagine it's a string of patent dates.

Till next.

[1880sMosler]

Here are some updated images:

As the earlier (deleted) comment suggested, yes, this uses the patents 1860-1871 Sergeant & Greenleaf dial lock. The last pic is the 'exact' safe from an old 1930s photo posted online...

[GWiens2001]

Looks like a winner! Can hardly wait to see the finished results. Am still looking to find a place to make a replacement hinge I can afford for my safe project.

Gordon

[DaWolfMan]

Looks like a winner! Can hardly wait to see the finished results. Am still looking to find a place to make a replacement hinge I can afford for my safe project.

Gordon

Gordon,

This seems to be an older post so i dont think i am "Hijacking" anything here, What kind of hinge are you looking to have made?

DaWolfMan

[1880sMosler]

Looks like a winner! Can hardly wait to see the finished results. Am still looking to find a place to make a replacement hinge I can afford for my safe project.

Gordon

Hijack away (previous comment)! Btw, GWiens2001, Safe Hinges appear on eBay on occasion. The early S&G lock "" from mine was recently listed and re-listed there many times, at a whopping $250, but it did sell at last! So, good luck.

[GWiens2001]

Looks like a winner! Can hardly wait to see the finished results. Am still looking to find a place to make a replacement hinge I can afford for my safe project.

Gordon

Gordon,

This seems to be an older post so i dont think i am "Hijacking" anything here, What kind of hinge are you looking to have made?

DaWolfMan

Glad to have you hijack it. Here are some pics of the hinge:











And I'd consider $250 to be an absolute steal. This project has not moved at all. Can't exactly use a hardware store hinge since the door on this baby weighs between 500-600 pounds. (Roughly 225-270 kg).

Gordon

[DaWolfMan]

Wow,

That is a monster of a hinge, Looks like a good machining project for someone with the proper tools. I was hoping it may be something i could assist you with, but i dont have the tooling to try and make something like that at this time.

DaWolfMan