Antique Singer Sewing Machines: Identify, Date & Value Your Old Singer

Step oneDate it with the serial number

Every Singer carries a serial number stamped into the bed. On machines made before the 1950s it sits on top at the front right; on later machines it is on a raised pad underneath. Type it into our Singer serial number lookup.

Two letters and six digits usually means 1924 to the 1960s.
One letter and up to seven digits points to roughly 1900–1924.
Digits only means about 1900 or earlier.

Step twoIdentify the model from the bobbin

Singer seldom printed the model number on the machine, so collectors identify it by features. The bobbin is the single best clue. Slide open the plate beside the needle and compare:

Long shuttle (bullet)

A long bullet bobbin inside a shuttle that swings back and forth.

27/127, 28/128

Class 15 (in a bobbin case)

A round bobbin in a bobbin case that clips in from the side.

15-91 and the Class 15 family

Class 66 drop-in

A round bobbin that drops in flat from the top under a slide plate.

66, 99, 201, 401A, 403A, 404, 500A

Class 221

A small round bobbin in its own case.

221/222K Featherweight, 301

Then check the size (full size or 3/4) and the needle: a slanted needle means a 301 or a 400/500-series machine. On Class 15 machines the tension sits on the faceplate above the presser bar. Our model identifier walks you through it.

Step threePlace it in its era

1851–1900

Plain-number era

Serial numbers are digits only. Vibrating-shuttle machines with long bullet bobbins, such as the Model 27 (from 1891) and the 3/4-size Model 28.

Model 27 & 127

1900–1930

Letter prefixes begin

From 1900 Singer adds letter prefixes. The drop-in-bobbin 66 arrives in 1902 with its Red Eye decals; the 127 and 128 follow in about 1912.

Model 66 (Red Eye)

1930–1950

Straight-stitch golden age

The gear-driven 15-91 and 201-2, and the 11 lb 221 Featherweight (1933). Many collectors’ favourites come from these years.

Model 201

1950–1964

Aluminium and slant needles

The lightweight 301 (1951), the Scottish 222K free-arm (1953) and the 400/500-series slant-needle zigzags such as the 401A and 500A.

Model 401A

Step fourRead the decals

Decals help confirm age and originality. A machine whose decals don’t fit its serial date may have been refinished: singersewinginfo notes, for example, that a 66 made before 1935 wearing Paperclip decals has been repainted.

Sphinx

1890s–1950s

Also called Memphis or Egyptian. On the 27 and 15; on the 127, one on the bed and one on the pillar.

Seen on: 27, 127, 15

Red Eye

1902–c.1920/23

Officially ‘Scroll (red)’. On US-made 66-1 machines.

Seen on: 66

Lotus

1907–c.1920

‘Egyptian (green)’, on the earliest Scottish 66Ks.

Seen on: 66K

Tiffany / Gingerbread

Early 1900s

Ornate early decals recorded on the 27 and the 66.

Seen on: 27, 66

Filigree

1911–1940s

Recorded on the 66 and the 99.

Seen on: 66, 99

Paperclip

1935–1950s

Geometric decals on 1930s–50s machines.

Seen on: 201, 301, 221

Prism

1953 on

Later geometric decals; on the 201 from 1953 and on the 301 after serial NA130000.

Seen on: 201, 301, 221

Crinkle ‘Godzilla’

1930s–40s

A wrinkle finish rather than a decal, recorded on the 66, 128 and 221.

Seen on: 66, 128, 221

BackgroundA short history of Singer

The timeline below explains most of what you see on old machines: why some carry plain numbers and others letters, why Scottish and American machines differ, and why there is a gap in American production during the Second World War.

Year	What happened
1850	Singer redesigns a Boston machine. In 1850 Isaac Singer examined a Lerow & Blodgett sewing machine at Orson Phelps's workshop in Boston and, with Phelps and George B. Zieber, set about making a practical alternative.
1851	Patent and I. M. Singer & Co.. Singer was granted US patent no. 8294 in August 1851, and the firm of I. M. Singer & Co. was founded in New York with the lawyer Edward C. Clark, who had advised Singer on the patent.
1856	Hire-purchase plan introduced. Edward Clark introduced a hire-purchase scheme in 1856, letting families buy a machine with a small deposit and monthly instalments. It is widely described as the first American instalment plan.
1863	Singer Manufacturing Company formed. The partnership was dissolved in July 1863 and replaced by The Singer Manufacturing Company, with Singer and Clark each receiving 2,075 of its 5,000 shares.
1867	First Scottish factory, Glasgow. Singer opened a factory on John Street, Glasgow, in 1867. A larger works near Bridgeton Cross followed by 1873, by which time Singer employed over 2,000 people in Scotland.
1872	Elizabethport works opens. Singer opened a large purpose-built factory at Elizabethport, New Jersey, in 1872 (some accounts give 1873). It became the centre of American production for more than a century.
1885	Kilbowie factory and vibrating shuttle. The Kilbowie works at Clydebank, begun in 1882, was in production by 1884 and finished in 1885. In the same year Singer bought and popularised Robert Whitehill's vibrating shuttle design.
1905	Wheeler & Wilson taken over. Singer took over its rival Wheeler & Wilson in 1905, acquiring the Bridgeport, Connecticut works, and kept selling the Wheeler & Wilson No. 9 under its own name until at least 1913.
1908	Singer Tower opens in New York. The 41-storey Singer Tower (about 47 storeys high to the top of its dome) in Lower Manhattan opened to the public on 1 May 1908 and was the tallest building in the world until 1909. It was demolished between 1967 and 1969.
1933	Featherweight 221 launched. The lightweight aluminium Model 221 Featherweight entered production in 1933 and was shown at the Chicago World's Fair (Wikipedia names the 1934 season). Production of the original version ended in 1961, though Canadian and Scottish output continued until about 1969; ISMACS gives a 1933–1971 span.
1935	Monza and Bonnières factories open. Singer opened new European factories at Monza, Italy (opening ceremony 24 April 1935), and Bonnières-sur-Seine, France. Their machines carry 'M' and 'B' suffixes on the model number.
1942	Wartime halt to domestic machines. Elizabethport stopped making domestic sewing machines from June 1942 to July 1945 and turned to munitions. Kilbowie kept making sewing machines in smaller numbers alongside war work.
1951	Anderson plant begins production. A new plant at Anderson, South Carolina, built in 1950, began production in 1951. It made the slant-needle aluminium machines, including the 301, the 401/403 Slant-o-Matic series and the 500 series.
1980	Clydebank closes. The Kilbowie factory at Clydebank closed in June 1980, ending more than a century of Singer sewing machine production in Scotland. The buildings were demolished in 1998.

CareLooking after an antique Singer

Use only sewing machine oil

Proper sewing machine oil is a thin oil with no additives that leave varnish. Avoid 3-in-1, household, automotive and penetrating oils. WD-40 is a water-displacing product and does not lubricate for long.

Clear lint before oiling

Take off the needle plate and brush lint out of the feed dogs and bobbin area, sweeping it towards the front so it does not go into the gears. After oiling, stitch on a scrap of fabric to take up any excess oil.

Check whether the motor takes grease or oil

Some Singer motors have grease tubes with sprung felt wicks, and others have oil wicks. Never put oil in a grease-type motor, because it can seep in and contaminate the windings. Starving an oil-type motor causes overheating.

Be gentle with the finish and decals

The black finish is shellac over enamel with gold decals. Alcohol, ammonia, citrus or water-based cleaners and solvents can whiten the shellac or 'silver' the decals, and that damage cannot be undone. A soft cloth with sewing machine oil is the safest cleaner.

Set belts to the right tension

A belt should be just tight enough not to slip. Overtightening drags on the bearings, makes a treadle hard to work and wears the shafts. A new leather belt will stretch a little as it beds in.

Inspect old wiring before plugging in

Rubber insulation on old motors, lights and controllers often hardens and crumbles with age. Wiring in this state should be replaced before the machine is used, because it is a shock and fire risk.

GlossaryWords you’ll meet

Shank: The shank is the part of the presser bar that the foot attaches to. Wikipedia gives about 0.5 in (13 mm) from the bottom of the foot to the thumbscrew for low shank and about 1 in for high shank; other sources measure differently (about 12 mm and 18 mm). Slant-needle Singers use their own slant-shank feet.
Presser foot: The attachment that holds the fabric flat against the feed dogs while it is fed through and stitched.
Feed dogs: Serrated teeth that rise through slots in the bed to grip the fabric and move it past the needle.
Drop feed: The feed system used on almost all household machines, with the feed mechanism working below the sewing surface.
Vibrating shuttle: A bobbin driver in which a long shuttle swings back and forth in an arc. Singer bought the design in 1885 and used it on models such as the 27/28 and 127/128.
Oscillating hook: A hook that rocks back and forth through a short arc around a stationary bobbin, as on the Singer 15-91.
Rotary hook: A hook that turns continuously in one direction, catching the upper thread on each revolution. Allen B. Wilson invented it in 1851 and it became known as the Wheeler & Wilson principle.
Drop-in bobbin: A bobbin that lies flat just under the needle plate, in a horizontal hook, rather than in a removable case. Singer popularised the design on the Model 66.
Potted motor: The name collectors use for the enclosed electric motor fitted to the back of gear-driven machines such as the 15-91 and 201-2, which have no external belt.
Japanning: The baked black finish on older machines. Heavy coats of 'japan' were applied, baked, rubbed down and recoated, then decorated and varnished.
Decals: The ornamental transfer patterns on a machine's japanned surface, such as Acanthus, Dogwood or Celtic Swirl. They help date a machine because each was used for a known period.
Cams: Shaped discs that set a pattern for decorative stitches. As a cam turns, a follower linked to the needle bar tracks its profile and moves the needle from side to side.

FinallyIs it worth anything?

Most old Singers were built to be repaired, and a straight-stitch machine that turns freely is often worth cleaning and oiling for use. For money value, see how much is my old Singer worth; it shows you how to find real sold prices. Many antique Singers survive in treadle stands and cabinets; see our treadle guide.

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

How can I tell how old my Singer sewing machine is?

Find the serial number on the bed (front right on older machines, underneath on later ones) and look it up. You’ll get the year the number was allotted and the factory.

Are old Singer sewing machines worth anything?

Some are, many are modest. Millions were made, so common models in average condition sell for modest sums. Model, condition, completeness and local demand drive value; our value guide shows how to check real sold prices.

What is the oldest Singer sewing machine?

The ISMACS pre-1900 database dates serial number 1 to September 1850. Machines from the 1850s and 1860s are rare.

Should I restore an old Singer or leave it original?

Clean gently and keep the original finish where you can; harsh cleaners can lift decals. Cleaning and oiling the mechanism usually improves a machine without harming its originality.

What oil should I use on an old Singer?

Proper sewing machine oil only. Avoid 3-in-1, household and automotive oils, and don’t rely on WD-40, which displaces water rather than lubricating for long.

Why are there two or three numbers on my old machine?

Machines made before about 1900 can carry more than one number. Use the longer, higher one for dating.