Steinway oddity

[Robin Hufford]

Hello again Michael,
     At the tail of the piano on the leftmost side of the plate is both a patent
date - which is the normal decorative patent date one finds on the plate in
various locations, along with what are nearly advertisements.   It is designed
to be read from the back of the piano - that is it is upside down if you read it
from the front.  Immediately below this is a date stamped into the plate
thusly:  16.6/93.  This is a date, as is the patent date stamped close by.  Just
below this date about an inch away is the number 2 which I take to be the scale
designation.
     I have an identical 1895 A:  it is configured exactly the same with the
only difference being the dating date which ends in 95.  Later the dot in the
embossing was replaced with a slash.
     In the shop are two B's with similar dating marks and, here I rely on the
vicissitudes of  memory, they also have the decorative patent date arranged
similarly.  I'll check on this tomorrow.  The scale designation, if memory
serves, is, I believe, 173.
     So, to clear up some of the confusion - early pianos had a patent date
stamped just along the edge of the plate, oriented to be read from the tail.
These appear upside down when trying to read the dating and scale marks which
are nearby as they are oriented so as to be read from the front.   At some point
the patent date was left off, then, subsequently, the dating was encrypted,
etc.  I have seen these configurations on many, many pianos.
     The patent dating, along with the decriptive information is designed  to be

read from  positions located on the outside of the plate; the dating  and
scaling info are oriented such that they appear to have been intended to be read
from the front.
Regards, Robin Hufford
Michael Gamble wrote:

> Hello Robin Hufford
> You said:
> "  The one I have, an 88-note, round-tail was built in 1893 and shifts
> right.  I believe, unless I am mistaken,  only the early 85 noters shift
> to the left."
> Would you care to have a look at the plate tail embossing and send me the
> details? I would like to see if, given enough info, I can unearth a little
> history tomorrow. This chap has been with the company for 40 odd years so he
> may know something... there again...;-)
> Regards
> Michael G (UK)
>
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