Auction Prices still rising

Albervin

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Ride or Invest

A couple of observations. The numbers stamped on the bike have to be "cleanest" & sharpest numbers I have ever seen on a Vincent. Nothing implied but all numbers & letters appear to be the same style, font & size.
The description mentions 15/32" GP carbs but I assume that should be 1 5/32nd ...
There is debate here in Australia whether prices are coming down but recent sales of incomplete bikes or bikes needing refurbishment seem to indicate it is at least steady. $50,000 for a bike that has not run for (at least) 30 years would easily become $60,000 for a nice tidy & reliable machine. Then again, a "D" Shadow (running & tidy) just sold for $53,000 which I think is good value. People are putting money back into art so why not gilt edged bikes?
 
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Graham Smith

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A couple of observations. The numbers stamped on the bike have to be "cleanest" & sharpest numbers I have ever seen on a Vincent. Nothing implied but all numbers & letters appear to be the same style, font & size.

I'd have to agree with Alyn on that.

Not being an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd have to say the numbers on the frame parts don't appear to match the style of the numbers on the engine. In my worthless opinion, it looks to me that the numbers on the engine appear the right style, but the ones on the frame aren't.

Take a look at the '5' as an example. It appears that they've been created with different stamps.
 

Albervin

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Graham, what I was really indicating (or trying to) is that on most engines I have seen there are 2 different styles of stamps. First the F10AB/1 was stamped and then when the engine was being assembled the numbers were added along with a B or a C if necessary. If they were in a straight line it was a bonus. The frame stamps are really spooky, the definition for 50 year old stampings is stunning!
 

roy the mechanic

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I make Albervin right. For me it's the "background" that looks wavy, this one needs further investigations! Be careful, Roy.
 

clevtrev

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Graham, what I was really indicating (or trying to) is that on most engines I have seen there are 2 different styles of stamps. First the F10AB/1 was stamped and then when the engine was being assembled the numbers were added along with a B or a C if necessary. If they were in a straight line it was a bonus. The frame stamps are really spooky, the definition for 50 year old stampings is stunning!

The works stamp was just the F10AB.
 

TouringGodet

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A minor point, but that is a relatively low engine number, and early dispatch date of June 1951, to have a 'Vincent Engineers' Mercury Crest transfer. I see that quite often, people seem to forget there is more than one type of Vincent scroll Mercury Crest. Very few Series C machines, perhaps 100 or so, where actually built late enough to have that transfer. Engine numbers in the 98xx range were built in 1952, and I believe those bikes likely did not have that transfer either.

When did Vincent officially change name to 'Vincent Engineers', some time in 1953, wasn't it?
 
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Somer

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Font changed several times over the years. Around 49-51 font was two different sizes with the F10AB being smaller.Later it went back to a consistent size.The Mercury Crest decal (or transfer) went BACK to Vincent-HRD around 1952.I reckon the works just wanted to use up old stock.In 54 some of the last C's had B/D compression release levers.
These are observations from original untouched Vincents over the years. And remember factories use what they got.
I once had a guy look at an original (2800 miles) 54 Shadow I had and it had the earlier decals on the Mercury Crest.
His comment was "they (the works) got it wrong"!
 
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