Miehle V45 twin piston air pump

I have not seen a serial number list, but here are the basics for Miehle Verticals:

V-36 introduced in 1922, but was initially just called The Vertical.

V-45 was an improved model introduced in late 1931 with serial number 7343.

V-50 (prewar model) introduced in March, 1940 with serial number 11119. The post war V-50 had a number of changes including styling/appearance changes. Serial number 20,000 was produced in 1955 and was donated by Miehle to the pressman’s union by about March, 1956—that helps approximating the very common V-50—see

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53177163@N00/2531587552/sizes/l/in/photostr...

V-50X introduced in 1965 primarily built for the check printers, like Deluxe, Harland, and others. I have no serial number for the start of this model.

Miehle stated that in the first 18 years that production averaged 50 presses a month, but the serial numbers show that during the Depression years from 1931 to 1940 that rate was more like 43 presses a month. Vertical production during the Depression kept Miehle afloat as sales for tthe big presses slowed to a trickle.

So, SN 8343 appears to be right in the middle of the Depression, is a V-45, and most likely was built roughly 1935. I visited the Miehle plant in 1962 and there were 4 V-50s being built on the floor at that time.

Fritz