Reynolds Serial Numbers

Please note: Except for a fragment of late production data from 1964-1979 that was preserved in the Allied Band Supply catalog, I am not aware of any surviving official records for serial numbers of Reynolds band instruments. Due to the lack of these records, identifying an exact manufacture date for any given serial number is inherently inaccurate.

The serial numbers and estimated dates presented below are based on the visual observation of engraving patterns and design and trim details on hundreds of instruments that I've cross-referenced against catalog illustrations and descriptions and historical company information. While an exact date may never be able to be accurately verified for any given serial number, I believe that the general progression of these lists is defensible and represents Reynolds instruments through the company’s history.

This primary Reynolds serial number sequence dates from 1936-1979 and includes all Reynolds instruments with the following exceptions:

  • Any instrument marked "Made by Ohio Band Instrument Co." (includes Regent, Roth, Paramount, etc.)
  • All Roth model instruments (including those marked "made by F.A. Reynolds" or "made by Roth-Reynolds"). All other model instruments marked "made by Roth-Reynolds" are included in the primary serial number table.
  • All Medalist instruments made between 1961 and 1964 (SNs below 200000).

For these exceptions, please see the "Ohio Band / Roth" serial number list.

Cleveland (1936-1964)
Serial No.Est. DateNotes
11936F.A. Reynolds Co. begins factory operations in mid-1936.
5001937 
10001938 
20001939 
30001940 
40001941Many instruments with SNs 4xxx-21xxx have the "U.S." military-contract bell engraving and/or are a documented wartime purchase.
50001942 
60001943 
70001944 
80001945Reynolds engraving pattern on trumpets, cornets and trombones begin to change to vertical "monogram" style; date of design change confirmed as shortly after WW2 ended. Earliest examples documented are SN 8393 (trumpet), SN 8500 (cornet), SN 9582 (trombone).
90001946F.A. Reynolds Co. becomes a division of Scherl & Roth in spring 1946. Production now estimated at 3000 instruments/year, as post-war focus shifts from Ohio Band to Roth and Reynolds.
120001947 
150001948 
180001949

The Contempora brand was introduced in May 1949 according to U.S. trademark applications—the earliest documented Contempora instruments are SN 19054 (tuba), SN 21025 (trumpet), SN 24063 (cornet).

Two physical design changes happened around the time of the Contempora introduction: (1) redesign of trumpet/cornet valve buttons and bottom caps; and (2) redesign of brace ferrules on the trombone lines.

210001950
240001951 
270001952 
300001953Instruments start to be marked as "Made by Roth-Reynolds" instead of "Made by F.A. Reynolds".
335001954 
370001955Reynolds "Hi-Fi" cornet introduced c.1955 (39243 lowest serial number recorded).
410001956Contempora trumpet SN 41902 purchased June 1956.
450001957Allen Ostrander acquired "Philharmonic" Contempora bass trombone SN 45190 in early 1957; received one of three prototype "Stereophonic" Contempora bass trombones, SN 49479, in late 1957.
490001958Chambers Model horn delivered Fall 1958; 52xxx lowest serial number recorded.
530001959Argenta brand introduced 1959; 545xx lowest serial number recorded. "Hi-Fi" trumpet and trombone introduced.
5700019601960 was the last year instruments were engraved as "Made by Roth-Reynolds". Subsequent RMC-era instruments were simply marked "Cleveland, Ohio".
610001961Most instruments with serial numbers higher than 61000 bear the RMC shield, corresponding to the 1961-1964 period that Richards Music owned Reynolds.
650001962 
700001963 
75000196x 
800001964Serial numbers after 79000 may have been made in Abilene or Fullerton with Cleveland-made parts.
850001964SN 85459 last known Reynolds serial number before sequence was reset to 200000.
Abilene, Texas; Fullerton, Calif. (1964-1979)

The serial numbers and dates list below are reproduced from production data published in an Allied Band Supply catalog. This is the only known surviving serial number data from Reynolds.

Serial No.DateNotes
200000Nov. 1964Serial numbers for Reynolds instruments were reset in 1964 after the company moved operations from Cleveland to Abilene, Texas and Fullerton, Calif. The new sequence started with 200,000 and was used for all instruments until 1977.
210000Nov. 1965 
220000Oct. 1966 
230000Jul. 1967 
235000May 1968 
250000Nov. 1969In 1970, all Reynolds instruments are produced in Fullerton and are marked with "Made in USA". Instruments with very high serial numbers (600,000+) likely have Olds serial numbers and are not accounted for in this table.
260000Apr. 1971 
270000Aug. 1972 
280000Oct. 1973 
290000Jun. 1974 
300000Sep. 1975 
310000Aug. 1976SN 314587 (Oct. 1977)
A00001Oct. 1977In October 1977, Reynolds and Olds used a joint serial number sequence that started with the letter "A". Fewer than 50,000 instruments were made before the company ceased operations in July 1979.
A05000Dec. 1977A05266 (Dec. 1977); A06741 (Jan. 1978)
A10000Early 1978A10066 (Jan); A12537 (Feb); A16496 (Apr); A18163 (May).
A20000Mid 1978A20876 (Jun); A24470 (Jul); A24706 (Aug); A28375 (Sep).
A30000Late 1978A31565 (Oct); A34616 (Nov); A37470 (Dec)
A40000Early 1979A40550 (Jan); Production ceased July 1979.

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