Posted 4 years ago
KLockmiller
(1 item)
I just got this 1906(?) Singer Sewing machine. I can’t find anything online that looks exactly like it. Does anyone know what kind of machine this is or how rare it is?
Help me identify my antique singer sewing machine | ||
| Singer Sewing Machines164 of 716 |  |  |
Looks like... Singer Sewing Machine, Lotus Design, Model 66, 1906
https://www.google.com/search?q=Singer+Sewing+Machine%2C+Lotus+Design%2C+Model+66%2C+1906&oq=Singer+Sewing+Machine%2C+Lotus+Design%2C+Model+66%2C+1906%0A%0A&aqs=chrome..69i57j33l2.2273j0j7&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#scso=_j6tmX-DzDYLI0PEPov2YmAc62:281
Hi, KLockmiller. :-)
You (and dav2no1) are correct in that this machine was produced circa 1906. I say "circa," because per Singer's records, that serial number (H465214) was one of a block of 25,000 serial numbers (440701 - 465700) allotted to a specific Singer factory on June 18, 1906, and they were all model 66 (so dav2no1 was correct about that as well).
It would have taken the factory awhile to work its way through that block of 25K number, so it's possible that some of them didn't roll off the line until 1907:
*snip*
H- 440701 465700 66 25000 June 18 1906
*snip*
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-h-series-serial-numbers.html
Per sewing machine expert Alex Askaroff, the H series of serial numbers were all made at Singer's Elizabethport, New Jersey factory:
https://sewalot.com/dating_singer_sewing_machine_by_serial_number.htm
About the Elizabethport factory:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/elizabethport
And yes, dav2no1 is also correct about the decal set being "Lotus," AKA "Egyptian":
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/decals/decal09
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/decals/domestics/domesticpics/66lotusdscf0136.jpg
Singer model 66 machines are not particularly rare, because it was a very successful model, and they produced it for a long time:
http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/singer%2066%2099.htm
About the model 66:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/66
You might never run across another Singer that looks exactly like yours in every detail (i.e., portable, solid wheel, motorized, stitch length knob, Lotus decal set); however, now that you know a bit more about it, you could search Google Images using various search criteria, e.g., "Singer model 66 1906 Lotus."
Here are a few free, downloadable manuals for the model 66:
https://archive.org/details/Singer661Manual
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-model-66-sewing-machine-manual.pdf
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-model-66-18-sewing-machine-manual.pdf
Good luck. :-)