Using serial numbers to identify the exact production dates of Reynolds instruments is inherently inaccurate given the lack of published records to corroborate with. Except for a fragment of Reynolds’ production data from 1964-1979 that is preserved in the Allied Band Supply catalog, I am not aware of any surviving official serial number records for Reynolds brass instruments.
As such, the serial number lists compiled below have been based on the visual observation of engraving patterns and other instrument details that I’ve cross-referenced against catalog illustrations and other available historical information. I believe that, while exact dates may never be able to be accurately verified for a specific serial number, 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 serial number table on this page.
- All Medalist instruments made between 1961 and 1964 (SNs below 200000).
For these exceptions, please see the “Ohio Band” serial number list.
|1||1936||F.A. Reynolds name first used in commerce in February 1936.|
|3600||1940||Many instruments with SNs 4xxx-21xxx with the “US” bell engraving and/or documented wartime purchase.|
|9000||1946||F.A. Reynolds Co. becomes a division of Scherl & Roth by mid-1946.|
|16000||1948||The Contempora brand was introduced in late 1949 according to U.S. trademark applications; the earliest recorded Contempora instrument is SN 20076 (trumpet).|
|30000||1952||Instruments start to be branded “Made by Roth-Reynolds” instead of “Made by F.A. Reynolds”.|
|40000||1956||Reynolds “Hi-Fi” cornet introduced 1955-56 (39243 lowest serial number recorded). Contempora trumpet SN 41902 purchased June 1956.|
|50000||1958||Chambers Model horn delivered Fall 1958; 52xxx lowest serial number recorded.|
|55000||1959||Argenta brand introduced 1959; 545xx lowest serial number recorded. “Hi-Fi” trumpet and trombone introduced.|
|60000||1961||Most instruments between SN 60000-79000 bear the RMC shield, corresponding to the 1961-1963 period that Richards Music owned Reynolds.|
|80000||1964||Serial numbers after 79000 appear to be made in Abilene (see “Reynolds: 1964-1979″) with Cleveland-made parts.|
|85000||1964||SN 85459 last known Reynolds serial number with Cleveland-made parts.|
|200000||Nov. 1964||Serial numbers for Reynolds instruments were reset in 1964 after the company moved from Cleveland to Abilene, Texas. The new sequence started with 200,000 and was used for all instruments until 1977.|
|260000||Apr. 1971||By 1971, all Reynolds instruments are produced in Fullerton and are marked with “Made in USA”.|
|310000||Aug. 1976||SN 314587 (Oct. 1977)|
|A00001||Oct. 1977||In 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.|
|A05000||Dec. 1977||A05266 (Dec. 1977); A06741 (Jan. 1978)|
|A10000||Early 1978||A10066 (Jan); A12537 (Feb); A16496 (Apr); A18163 (May).|
|A20000||Mid 1978||A20876 (Jun); A24470 (Jul); A24706 (Aug); A28375 (Sep).|
|A30000||Late 1978||A31565 (Oct); A34616 (Nov); A37470 (Dec)|
|A40000||Early 1979||A40550 (Jan); Production ceased July 1979.|