Bösendorfer Serial Numbers
If you own a Bösendorfer and want to know its age, the serial number is the place to start. This page shows you where to find it, gives you a full chart, and explains what the number tells you.
We are Yamaha specialists, not a Bösendorfer dealer. We put this guide together because we are asked about piano ages all the time.
Where to find the serial number
The number is usually stamped into the cast iron frame inside the piano, often near the tuning pins, and it may also appear elsewhere on the frame. It is separate from the model number, which on a Bösendorfer is usually the length in centimetres, such as 200 or 214.
Bösendorfer serial number chart
Find your serial number in the ranges below to see roughly when the piano was made.
| Serial number | Made between |
|---|---|
| 4 – 200 | 1828 – 1830 |
| 201 – 490 | 1831 – 1840 |
| 491 – 3,000 | 1841 – 1850 |
| 3,001 – 5,000 | 1851 – 1860 |
| 5,001 – 6,400 | 1861 – 1870 |
| 6,401 – 9,300 | 1871 – 1880 |
| 9,301 – 12,200 | 1881 – 1890 |
| 12,201 – 15,640 | 1891 – 1900 |
| 15,641 – 19,640 | 1901 – 1910 |
| 19,641 – 22,530 | 1911 – 1920 |
| 22,531 – 25,350 | 1921 – 1930 |
| 25,351 – 26,290 | 1931 – 1940 |
| 26,291 – 26,960 | 1941 – 1950 |
| 26,961 – 28,017 | 1951 – 1960 |
| 28,018 – 29,109 | 1961 – 1970 |
| 29,110 – 33,444 | 1971 – 1980 |
| 33,445 – 41,062 | 1981 – 1990 |
| 41,063 – 43,660 | 1991 – 1996 |
| 43,661 and up | 1997 onward |
One thing surprises people. Because Bösendorfer makes so few pianos, the serial numbers climb slowly, so even a fairly modern Bösendorfer has a low number. A serial in the thirty thousands is a piano from the 1970s or 1980s, not a very old one.
A note on accuracy. These figures come from the published piano atlases the trade has used for decades. They are close, but not exact, so treat the result as the period give or take. Bösendorfer keeps careful records and can confirm a date precisely from the serial.
What the number does and does not tell you
It tells you the age, which is useful. It does not tell you the condition, or whether the piano has been rebuilt and with what, and those set the value. Our buying guide explains what to check, and our models guide helps you identify which Bösendorfer you have.