Matthias Hohner founded the company in Trossingen in 1857; by the 1920s it was the largest free-reed maker in the world. Hohner has recorded a serial number on every accordion leaving the factory since 1930 — but the archive is their own, not published: they will date an instrument from its serial for a fee. This archive compiles the free data instead: a community survey mapping serials 1934–1941, the model-letter eras (N/S/T), and production years of the model catalogue.
The record makes room for uncertainty when a precise year is unavailable.
Factory and production era appear alongside the date when supported by a source.
See the source behind a match and what still needs to be confirmed.
The archive currently covers 2 series and 200 dating ranges from 1934 to 1941, compiled from published maker records and reference charts. Coverage grows as new tables are verified.
On Hohner accordions the number usually sits on the rear of the treble side, on the bass-side plate, or on a small identification plate near the bass strap. Pre-1930 instruments may carry a stamped date instead. The exact spot varies by era and instrument type — the serial number guide walks through the common locations.
Recheck the characters exactly as marked, including any letters and leading zeros. Letter-prefixed numbers often belong to student or non-domestic lines that cannot be dated from the number. Some production periods may simply not be covered yet.