SteveH

If I recall correctly, there was discussion about Singer making these up for the 1951 centennial and using them on machines made in advance (for shelf stock) and even on machines made through 1953 to us up the stock and to ride the "buy them because they are special" wave.

If I come across which group (may be antique singer YH group) was having the discussion, I will point you at them. They would appreciate a 1950 "centennial"

tron80

Yes Steve, I think so, because the faceplate is diferent too, the "True" 1951 centennials have the faceplate with florals theme and mine is with straight lines as prior models see here. I supose is a "leftover 1950! centennial!!! LOL.

Wow i've graduated in "FW 101" in 24 hours flat!!!

tron80

New info:
#serie AJ806160 manufactured in Elizabeth, New Jersey USA year 1950

oldtnquiltinglady

Centennial or not, I would have jumped right on this one if it had been in Florida, SC, or Alabama. DH told me if I could find a cheap FW south, we'd go there for my birthday on a road trip to buy me a FW.....No luck yet, and my birthday is just around the corner.

Morag

Congratulations. I have two FW's and both are Centennials...... I enjoy mine and use them both regularly at classes.

vmaniqui

Happy birthday and hopefully you do find a FW. Good luck.

ArchaicArcane

I don't think that site is correct. In my experience, the striated plate replaced the floral. My 1950 machines both had striated plates. I switched one from a 1948 machine, so it has a floral plate now, and the 1957 222 I have has the striated plate. All of the centennials I've seen have had the striated plate.

I've also read that sometimes what would happen is the parts bin would get close to empty, and before it was topped up again with the new run of parts that parts that were for earlier models would "surface" onto a newer machine.

I've read exactly the opposite. I wonder if I can find where it was. I read that machines that were in stock at the factories would get the badges as they left the factory. In cases where the machines were stocked in large numbers or slow movers you would see "old" serial numbers leave with centennial badges. From my understanding Singer was concerned that people wouldn't buy a machine with a Centennial badge in 1952 because they thought it was "old".

I have a 1948 Centennial 15-90 here. I would love to see a machine younger than 1951 that has the badge, so I'd love to hear when you remember which group has been finding them.

ArchaicArcane

OK, I found one of my sources.
The striated plate is the later plate according to "A Guide to buying, Upgrading and cleaning a Featherweight" by M. Wood and T. Wood, circa 2007.

I should mention too that the plates changed right around 1950. So there was a period of flux there where a centennial could have the striated or the "Art Deco", "Celtic Knot" Floral" whatever you want to call it, but all the way into 1951? Less likely.

Daylesewblessed

Congratulations! You will enjoy owning your FW and sewing on it!

reginalovesfabric

I have a centeninal one and it was a gift and it cost my brother over $225.00 and I bought one from a freind that told me he had one of those little black sewing machines with the side that lifted up and it wouldn't sew, he wanted $150 for it, the reason it wouldn't sew, it didn't have a needle in it......so I have two. I sew on one of these all the time.