Help me work out the age of my bikes - Raleighs

[sparkle]

Yo,
Trying to work out the age of our bikes as seen in link;
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=34227

These are the serial numbers on the frames;
Mens - AJ10178
Womens - 10309 AP

Have been trying to work out through the following link, but nothing seems to line up;
http://sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/dating.html

Any help would be sweet!
Thanks
Sparkle

 

[icyuod2]

the headbadges change over the years, so that is quick way of ball parking the age.

Convention #2 (1948-195?):
4-5 digits followed by two letters (or, for the 28"-wheel models, two letters followed by 4-5 digits). e.g.: "12345AB," or "AB12345." Serial "rolls over" when numerals are used up - without rhyme or reason relating to month or year - in the same fashion as an odometer. This convention might have been used in 1947 as well, however, we have not found any Raleigh examples from 1947 so far that exhibit this serial system.

Convention #2 (1948-1955):


1948 .....AJ through .....AP (?)
1949 .....AP through .....A?
1950 .....A? through .....AX
Serials "...AV," "...AW," and "...AX" may stand for both a late 1950 model, or early '51s built with frames built the previous year

1951 .....AV through .....BG

http://www.jaysmarine.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html#47

 

[sparkle]

thanks for that mate, so more likely, both are late 40s, very early 50s bikes?

 

[icyuod2]

no problem.
yeah i figure 48/49