Dating Your Singer Featherweight Machine (2024)

What is the Birthdate of My Singer Featherweight?

To date your Singer Featherweight, you will need to locate the serial number on the bottom of your machine. It has two letters followed by a series of six numbers. Using the serial number you can use the threecharts below to find the date when your machine was given a batch assignment at the factory. If you do not find your machine serial number listed in any of the three charts below, then read through all text and all article links for more references and historical information.

Most serial numbers are found on the bottom of a Featherweight next to the bottom tray (left photo), but a few of the early AD models are found
inside & underneath the bottom tray (right photo).

For sake of easy reference, only the serial numbers that correlate to Singer Featherweights are included in the three charts below. If your serial number series is not listed it could mean 1 of 3 things:

Your machine is actually not a Singer Featherweight model. Please refer to question #1 on our FAQs page or this article for the notable characteristics of a bona fide Featherweight.
Your machine truly is a Featherweight, but the records were lost or not accurately recorded at the old Singer factories. Click here for the differences between a Featherweight 221 vs 222.
Your Featherweight is among the few thathavenumbers that are difficult to read properly OR it is miss-stamped.
If your serial number is hard to decipher completely, then either take a pencil rubbing or closeup photo of the number for a better reading. If it falls outside of the charts below and you've verified that it is indeed a Featherweight model in option #1 above, then it may be a miss-stamped serial number. The only optionthen is to guesstimate the date, using the two letter prefix, by referencing the charts below and approximate the commission date based on the serial number sequences.

OTHERWISE, THERE ARE NO OTHER ORIGINAL SINGER FEATHERWEIGHT DATE RECORDS PRESERVED OR ARCHIVED.

If viewing the chart below on a mobile device, it is best viewed horizontally.

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There is a long propounded myth that the Singer Company can pinpoint the very day of manufacture of its machines. The date given as a "birthdate", however, is simply the day on which vast batches of serial numbers were released to the various factories.

The dates given below are the days on which those batches were started, together with the number of machines in each consignment. The first Featherweights batched in 1933 begin with the two-letter prefix 'AD'. By checking when the next batch was started, it's possible to get a fairly accurate date of when any particular machine might have left the assembly line.

Featherweights having serial numbers that begin with the prefix letter 'A' were made in Elizabethport, New Jersey, whereas those that begin with the prefix letter 'E' were manufactured in Kilbowie, Scotland. Featherweights having serial numbers that begin with the letter 'J' were mostly made at the St. John's, Quebec Factory in Canada. Singer Featherweights made outside of the US were also given a suffix to their actual model number. Those manufactured in Kilbowie were modeled given the model number 221K and those manufactured in St. John's were given the model number 221J.

In Summary:

AD = prefix of serial numbers assigned to the first Featherweights manufactured, beginning in 1933
Serial Number prefixes beginning with letter 'A' = manufactured in Elizabethport, New Jersey, USA
Serial Number prefixes beginning with letter 'E' = manufactured in Kilbowie, Scotland, United Kingdom
Serial Number prefixes beginning with letter 'J' = manufactured in St. John's, Quebec, Canada
(a few were partially manufactured in Kilbowie and then sent to Canada for finishing)

Models 221 (or 221-1) = manufactured in Elizabethport, New Jersey, USA
Models 221K = manufactured in Kilbowie, Scotland, United Kingdom
Models 221J = manufactured in St. John's, Quebec, Canada
(a few were partially manufactured in Kilbowie and then sent to Canada for finishing)

With the exception of motor voltage, belt drive, and some minor cosmetic differences, all 221 models remained fundamentally the same from 1933 through the 1960's. A Featherweight 221 is a 221 is a 221; the suffix does not change or alter the model classification. Moreover, the dash or "-1" indication on some years actually remains unknown. The records contained herein is all that Singer provided and Featherweight historians obtained. You can refer to the Featherweight Historical Timeline for more details about those changes.

Singer Featherweight 221 Machines (Black)

Prefix Series	Sequence	Batch Quantity	Commission Date	Year
AD	541546 - 551545	10,000	October 3rd	1933
AD	720746 - 730745	10,000	September 10th	1934
AD	781846 - 791845	10,000	November 27th	1934
AD	880156 - 890155	10,000	March 18th	1935
AD	937406 - 947405	10,000	June 24th	1935
AD	996956 - 999999	3044	September 23rd	1935

AE	000001 - 007000	7000	September 23rd	1935
AE	054366 - 064365	10,000	December 30th	1935
AE	076516 - 086515	10,000	March 25th	1936
AE	207616 - 222615	15,000	July 13th	1936
AE	294041 - 309040	15,000	November 5	1936
AE	407941 - 422940	15,000	March 15	1937
AE	536641 - 556640	20,000	June 11th	1937
AE	770591 - 790590	20,000	December 8th	1937
AE	973541 - 993540	20,000	May 24th	1938

AF	070706 - 090705	20,000	October 10th	1938
AF	161806 - 181805	20,000	February 15th	1939
AF	244106 - 264105	20,000	July 11th	1939
AF	371856 - 391855	20,000	December 5th	1939
AF	477181 - 497180	20,000	April 10th	1940
AF	571881 - 596880	25,000	August 15th	1940
AF	740751 - 760750	20,000	January 7th	1941
AF	863951 - 883950	20,000	April 1st	1941
AF*	907451 - 942450*	****	May 14th*	1941
AF	998251 - 999999	1749	July 1st	1941

AG	000001 - 018250	18,250	July 1st	1941
AG	526101 - 546100	20,000	September 19th	1945
AG	602856 - 622855	20,000	February 18th	1946
AG	689391 - 709390	20,000	June 4th	1946
AG	804771 - 824770	20,000	September 16th	1946
AG	848346 - 858345	10,000	October 25th	1946
AG	869446 - 889445	20,000	November 22nd	1946
AG	970946 - 990945	20,000	February 19th	1947

AH	050371 - 070370	20,000	April 22nd	1947
AH	111971 - 131970	20,000	June 26th	1947
AH	193771 - 223770	30,000	August 19th	1947
AH	316071 - 346070	30,000	October 28th	1947
AH	413571 - 443570	30,000	January 22nd	1948
AH	550921 - 580920	30,000	April 20th	1948
AH	640321 - 670320	30,000	June 18th	1948
AH	799121 - 829120	30,000	October 1st	1948
AH	973921 - 999999	26,079	December 9th	1948

AJ	000001 - 013920	13,920	December 9th	1948
AJ	103721 - 143720	40,000	March 15th	1949
AJ	189171 - 229170	40,000	November 18th	1949
AJ	348371 - 388370	40,000	January 23rd	1950
AJ	552721 - 592720	40,000	March 31st	1950
AJ	615621 - 655620	40,000	June 1st	1950
AJ	781321 - 821320	40,000	August 22nd	1950
AJ	887721 - 937720	50,000	October 26th	1950

AK	071321 - 121320	50,000	January 29th	1951
AK	389576 - 439575	50,000	May 10th	1951
AK	576776 - 626775	50,000	October 31st	1951
AK	745676 - 795675	50,000	February 20th	1952
AK	984876 - 999999	15,124	August 11th	1952

AL	000001 - 034875	34,875	August 11th	1952
AL	158501 - 208500	50,000	December 12th	1952
AL	389361 - 439360	50,000	May 4th	1953
AL	524941 - 574940	50,000	October 14th	1953
AL	689041 - 739040	50,000	April 22nd	1954
AL	900891 - 950890	50,000	January 17th	1955

AM	137761 - 187760	50,000	June 10th	1955
AM	361036 - 411035	50,000	February 27th	1956
AM	652586 - 702585	50,000	January 29th	1957
AM	771106 - 821105	50,000	September 27th	1957

EE	152221 - 152720	500	August 25th	1947
EE	452721 - 453220	500	December 24th	1947
EE	458241 - 459240	1000	January 22nd	1948
EE	573424 - 578423	5000	May 14th	1948
EE	802479 - 807478	5000	September 21st	1948
EE	853479 - 863478	10,000	December 10th	1948

EF	154176 - 164175	10,000	May 23rd	1949
EF	278731 - 288730	10,000	August 17th	1949
EF	558931 - 568930	10,000	November 7th	1949
EF	688016 - 698015	10,000	February 14th	1950
EF	700569 - 710568	10,000	April 24th	1950
EF	907629 - 917628	10,000	July 19th	1950

EG	072001 - 082000	10,000	October 9th	1950
EG	302861 - 312860	10,000	December 18th	1950
EG	343861 - 353860	10,000	February 15th	1951
EG	433821 - 444820	11,000	March 29th	1951
EG	637821 - 647820	10,000	May 16th	1951
EG	703321 - 713320	10,000	July 17th	1951
EG	957781 - 967780	10,000	October 17th	1951

EH	001027 - 011026	10,000	December 18	1951
EH	132547 - 142546	10,000	February 29th	1952
EH	236097 - 246096	10,000	April 28th	1952
EH	370347 - 380346	10,000	July 22nd	1952
EH	625778 - 635777	10,000	October 8th	1952
EH	890433 - 900432	10,000	March 4th	1953

EJ	211989 - 216988	5000	September 4th	1953

EK	203139 - 213138	10,000	February 14th	1955
EK	986373 - 991372	5000	December 20th	1955

EL	537735 - 542734	5000	June 13th	1956

EM	016257 - 021256	5000	January 8th	1957
EM	596007 - 601006	5000	August 2nd	1957

EN	235134 - 238133	3000	April 17th	1958
EN	826834 - 829333	2500	October 27th	1958

EP	256021 - 257520	1500	May 18th	1959

ES	170544 - 175543	5000	November 3rd	1960
ES	239244 - 249243	10,000	January 10th	1961
ES	648144 - 658143	10,000	May 15th	1961
ES	873744 - 883743	10,000	August 19th	1961

ET	061345 - 071344	10,000	November 2nd	1961

*Singer Sewing Machine models within this batch of serial numbers have no further historical records, but can only been verified by year based on data provided by Featherweight owners and caveat #2 & #3 at the top of this page.

Singer Featherweight White 221K / Tan 221J Machines

(Additional Information)

EV	776991 - 826990	50,000	March 3rd	1964
EV	846* - 99**	inconclusive ※		1964
EW	061691 - 071690	10,000	August 6th	1968
EY	84** - 99**	inconclusive ※		? ※ see text below ※
FA	096* - 132*	inconclusive ※		1968 / 69
FA	202* - 288*	inconclusive ※		1968 / 69

JE	150000 - 162000**	inconclusive ※		1961

**Singer Sewing Machine models within this JE batch of serial numbers were made in 1961. A few Singer Featherweights were included in this series.

※ The dates provided cannot be guaranteed, of course, but are probably as good as we will ever find. Some of the fine details are officially inconclusive (serial numbers were either misrecorded, applied to the wrong batch or the records were lost/destroyed with the old factories). Graham Forsdyke worked with the Singer Company directly to remove some of the errors and fix the anomalies in the old chart records, but some have still been found, especially in the post-ET serial number sequences. Sometimes you might find a rogue 221, for example, in a batch of 50,000 99K machines. That simply means that there were some Featherweights within that group of numbers, but it doesn't indicate with which number the group started or ended or how many 221 machines were involved.

Graham did not include data on his website for the white/green machines or the few Featherweights made in Canada because dating records were apparently too inaccurate to source.

For additional reference and a few more dates for those later year machines, however, we have included some of these dating records in the charts above, sourced from JJ & Leo's Featherweight 221 Factory site as well as singersewinginfo.co.uk's site. We would be pleased to receive any comments or corrections, just be aware that most of the seeming anomalies come from inaccurate readings of the original documentation which were sometimes taken from poorly stamped serial numbers.

Singer Featherweight 222K Free-Arm Machines

EJ	142734 - 142833	100	July 23rd	1953
EJ	211839 - 211988	150	September 2nd	1953
EJ	219989 - 220138	150	September 22nd	1953
EJ	223639 - 223838	200	October 1st	1953
EJ	225839 - 226038	200	October 14th	1953
EJ	226039 - 226438	400	October 21st	1953
EJ	236439 - 236638	200	October 29th	1953
EJ	266639 - 271638	5000	November 18th	1953
EJ	616272 - 626271	10,000	March 31st	1954
EJ	908425 - 918424	10,000	September 10th	1954

EK	319939 - 329938	10,000	March 14th	1955
EK	628163 - 638162	10,000	August 16th	1955

EL	176520 - 186519	10,000	March 2nd	1956
EL	681756 - 686755	5000	September 17th	1956

EM	234470 - 239469	5000	February 26th	1957
EM	601007 - 606006	5000	August 2nd	1957
EM	957021 - 962020	5000	November 15th	1957

EN	134513 - 139512	5000	March 17th	1958

EP	131001 - 133500	2500	March 3rd	1959
EP	541572 - 544071	2500	September 22nd	1959
EP	758473 - 760972	2500	December 18th	1959

ER	022034 - 024533	2500	March 15th	1960
ER	316034 - 318533	2500	May 30th	1960
ER	900043 - 902542	2500	September 7th	1960

ES	165344 - 167843	2500	October 19th	1960
ES	352344 - 357343	5000	January 31st	1961
ES	522944 - 527943	5000	March 30th	1961

Some people like to find machines associated with a particular year - whether it be a birth year, anniversary, etc. Click here for our "Birthdate Machines" chart indicating level of difficulty to find certain years.

FAQs

Dating Your Singer Featherweight Machine? ›

To date your Singer Featherweight, you will need to locate the serial number on the bottom of your machine. It has two letters followed by a series of six numbers. Using the serial number you can use the three charts below to find the date when your machine was given a batch assignment at the factory.

How can I tell what year my Singer Featherweight is? ›

To identify when a model was made, you need to first find the Singer sewing machine serial number. It's near the on/off switch on newer machines, and on the front panel or on a small plate on older machines. Once you've found the number, match it to the date in the chart below to discover the age of your machine.

Tell Me More ›

How can I tell if my Singer Featherweight is a 221 or a 222? ›

The width of the machine area under the presser bar lifter varies slightly on a 221 compared to a 222. The 221 measures 21/32nd inch. The 222 measures 23/32nd inch. Even this minute but measurable difference can affect a proper fit for some vintage mechanical attachments.

Learn More Now ›

How to date singer sewing machine? ›

To identify when a model was made, you need to first find the Singer sewing machine serial number. The number can be found near the on/off switch on newer machines, and on the front panel or on a small plate on older machines.

What years were Singer Featherweight sewing machines made? ›

The Singer Featherweight is a model series of lockstitch domestic sewing machines produced by the Singer Manufacturing Company from 1933 to 1968, significant among sewing machines for their continuing popularity, active use by quilters and high collector's value.

What are singer featherweights worth? ›

Originally, Featherweights were priced anywhere from $125 - $150 back in the 1930s to 1950s. (in 2024, and with inflation considered, that same dollar amount would be equivalent to about $2800!) That said, the value is mostly subjective with any item, including Featherweights.

How do I know if my Singer sewing machine is worth money? ›

What increases the value of a Singer sewing machine? There are three key factors you should consider before putting your machine up for sale: age, condition, and whether it was part of a limited production run. (A limited production run refers to a rare model — one that doesn't have a lot of existing copies.)

Explore More ›

What is so special about a Singer Featherweight? ›

A Singer Featherweight is perhaps the most sought-after American sewing machine in history. It was manufactured by the Singer Sewing Machine Co. between the years of 1933 to 1968. It is called a Featherweight because of its portability and light weight of only 11 pounds, 1 ounce.

Why is the Singer 222K so expensive? ›

All 222K Featherweights were manufactured in Scotland beginning in July 1953. Their engineering and design were more labor intensive, thus it was later determined by Singer that manufacturing them would not be as cost-effective and no longer marketable. Production ceased of all free-arm 222 Featherweights in 1961.

Show Me More ›

What is the difference between white and black featherweights? ›

The most notable difference and the greatest money saver for Singer was to be found internal to the machine. The black and tan machines are all gear driven, but the design change to the white machine utilizes a cogged drive belt. This had quite the effect on the bottom line.

Explore More ›

What is the most sought after Singer sewing machine? ›

Singer 221 and 222 Featherweight - Some of the most sought-after Singer machines are the 221 and 222 Featherweight, which are still popular with quilters, craftspeople, and seamstresses.

Get More Info ›

How do I find the manufacture date of my serial number? ›

The Serial Number Date Code Reference Chart contains date information as part of the overall serial number of your model. The first two characters of the serial number represent the year and month of manufacture.