Dating vintage espresso machines [ANCC, Serial] - Page 5

February 22nd, 2018, 11:09 am

gyro wrote:Faema Marte on previous page with a Faema serial number of 6609 and date stamped 1952. Mine is 3332, no idea how many they made a year at that point in time.

Thanks Chris for the picture. Lovely machine.

Yes it makes no real doubt that your serial is 3332, but seems to be an "export" model (since there are no date and no ANCC number on the boiler, and somehow confirmed by the "Made in Italy" that seem to appear before the number). This will make it a model of beginning 54 according to the plot.

#42: Post by **cuppajoe** » February 22nd, 2018, 5:16 pm

Sebastien -

While researching the Urania I had run into some comments that brown knobs and handles indicated the machine was probably made in France. Can you confirm? While my Urania was originally from the French Alps, it has black knobs and handles. Wonder if having two countries producing these machines explains the incoherent boiler markings.

Thanks

David

#43: Post by **Sansibar99** » February 22nd, 2018, 5:22 pm

In my oppinion it is the other way round: old Italian Faemas had partly brown bakelite, French were always black.
(but please feel free to correct my oppinion, as it is only based on memory, not sientific research

)

February 22nd, 2018, 7:30 pm

I've also read this comment made by channo but I can't confirm. I've seen Italian machines with black, brown and even white handles. It is maybe just a question of fashion period.
In fact there was many FAEMA and Gaggia production sites but all of them with their own plates (never with the Italian factory address) and their own numbering.

#45: Post by **cuppajoe** » February 25th, 2018, 4:25 pm

Thanks Sebastien, guess a lot of cross pollination took place over the years. Looking at those old photos makes me wonder if any of those espresso vans have survived.

#46: Post by **Sansibar99** » March 11th, 2018, 6:06 pm

Hi Sebastien, 2 more for you:

Gaggia America Autono

Faema Urania first gen.

March 11th, 2018, 8:07 pm

Thanks Holger. That's were the tool starts to be predictive.

From the ANCC, I'm able to date the two machines: December 1959 for the Gaggia Orione and July 1956 for the Urania 1st generation.
On ECF, there is another Urania with V-Shape group and "Export" serial #9206. The date on the manometer is September 1956 (as predicted by the dating tool).

#48: Post by **cuppajoe** » March 12th, 2018, 4:09 pm

Thanks for providing that link Sebastien. Tho a later version than mine, it has the same boiler and the only other Urania I've seen with that size boiler. It was also originally set up for gas only. As gas fired is controlled by the gas pressurestat under the drip tray, the larger boiler works as there is no room for a mercury Pstat. I had tried to install a Sarai on mine much like his and did not have tolerance for the bodywork to fit properly. Also tried using a mercury Pstat as it would have been appropriate for the vintage, with no luck.

March 12th, 2018, 5:17 pm

I updated the graphs on the first page. Now with the "export" machine date/numbering.
Next update with the information that Paul and Davide promised to send me, that will be terrific.

Paolo also pointed me to a thread I forgot: the one on Conti machine dating/numbering. I'll certainly be able to do something with that.

#50: Post by **dominico** » March 19th, 2018, 4:30 pm

Sorry for running across this thread a bit late.

Here's the one from my Faema President:

And the version of the groups it has: