piano, an icon of Australian manufacturing founded by Octavius Beale in 1893, is renowned for its "All Iron Tuning System," specifically patented to withstand Australia’s harsh, variable climate. For owners and collectors, performing a serial number lookup

Step 4: Use External Lookup Resources

Where to find the serial number

| Year of Manufacture | Serial Number Range | Historical Context | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1895 | 1 – 500 | First year of production, Alexandria, Sydney. Extremely rare. | | 1900 | 1500 – 2500 | Art Nouveau cases popular. | | 1905 | 6000 – 8500 | Federation-era designs. | | 1910 | 15000 – 18000 | Rising Australian nationalism. | | 1915 | 22000 – 26000 | WWI disrupts German felt imports. | | 1920 | 30000 – 35000 | Post-war boom. Beale becomes Australia's largest piano maker. | | 1925 | 42000 – 48000 | "Golden Age" of quality. Overstrung underdamper actions. | | 1930 | 55000 – 60000 | Great Depression begins – production slows. | | 1935 | 65000 – 68000 | Art Deco designs appear. | | 1940 | 72000 – 75000 | Steel shortages due to WWII. | | 1945 | 77000 – 80000 | Post-war restart. Simple cabinet designs. | | 1950 | 85000 – 90000 | Rise of radio and TV – piano sales decline. | | 1955 | 93000 – 96000 | Modern styling (mid-century). | | 1960 | 100000 – 103000 | Last truly "Australian-made" parts. | | 1965 | 105000 – 107000 | Manufacturing quality begins to vary. | | 1970 | 110000 – 112000 | Production moves partially overseas. | | 1975 | 113000 – 114500 | Final years of Sydney production. | | 1980 | 115000 – 116000 | Very rare. Mostly imported stencil pianos. | | 1985+ | 117000+ | Beale brand used on Asian imports. |

Local registered piano tuners often have access to "The Pierce Piano Atlas," a massive international serial number bible. Ask your tuner to do a Beale piano serial number lookup for you during your next tuning. They will usually do it for free.

Beale Serial Number to Year Chart

The Pierce Piano Atlas is the bible of piano serial numbers. It contains historical manufacturing dates for almost every brand, including Beale. You can find a physical copy in most piano technician’s libraries or purchase the digital edition online. According to the Pierce Atlas, here is a condensed :

Why does history matter for a serial number lookup? Because ownership changed hands. The original Beale factory in Annandale (Sydney) closed in the late 20th century. Today, the brand name exists under new ownership (often linked to Yamaha or independent Australian distributors). Knowing when your piano was made helps you determine if it is a vintage, hand-crafted Australian instrument or a modern rebrand.

While a serial number gives you the age, it does not give you the value. The value of a Beale piano is determined by three factors: