Originally Posted by
miamijim
...
1. Serial numbers pior to 1979. Peugeot didnt 'serialize' them as far 'we' (we being the bicycle community) can tell. Sometimes, 7 digits = 70's, 5 digits = 50's etc, but we've (we being the bicycle community) found that exceptions tend to be the rule. Because there are many known examples that do NOT follow any rules its always best to ignore the serial number and concentrate on frame/bike features to determine a Peugeots approximate year of mannufacture.
With all due respect to classicrendevouz they really need to remove or edit the serial number info on their PX10 page. Its just flat out incorrect.
...
I have 9 (?) Peugeots in my "collection"(biggest part of:
http://www.radklassiker.org/?cat=174〈=de): a PX10 from about 1963 (BB: 6 digits, stamped into Nervex-pro BB-lug), a PR10, PA60, PR60L and the rest PY10 or 60, all from between 1975 and 1979 (early seat-tube design, not the 80's-checkerboard-type).
Exept from the PR10 (without any BB-number, but probably from 1977) and a PY60 (hand-made-to-order "prestige" model from 1977), the rest is from the riveted-aluminium-plate type (BB serial number). All of these have 7 digits and here the first digit is exactly the year of built: first digit 6 = 1976, first d. 7 = 1977 and so on. I checked and compared this serial-number theory with more bikes from friends and in most cases it is applicable, but not necessarily always. The only exeption so far I remember was a PA65 mixte from 1975 (BB-no 2xxxxxx).
In my opinion - at least here in Germany/Europe - this may be consistent with about 90 out of a 100 bikes from the seventies.
But maybe this is not transferable to US-spec bikes.
In many cases you can verify the year of construction of the bike with other components of the bike, aside from catalog comparison. Sometimes you find a number stamped into the rear side of the lever-arms of the Mafac Racer-brakes (e.g. "10 76") or into Maillard (600/700) -pedals.
(sorry for the mistakes)
before I forget: nice bike, the one above.