I have just received a Paramount track bike that I would like help in dating when it was made. From its markings or stampings, it doesn't appear to follow the pattern of Paramount dating, although I do not know whether Paramount track bikes follow the same dating code as the others.
Here's a description of it:
Stamped on the rear drop-out is P59, and no other marking except Campagnolo. On the bottom bracket is stamped the following: Nervex and below that is 58004D222F38. (In that sequence of alpha-numeric code is the following: the zero between the "8" and next to following "0" looks like a degree sign as does the zero after the "4." If not a degree sign, it appears as if one were raising the number "8" to a power of zero. The two between the "2" and the F is much smaller, about half the size of the number preceding it and the letter following it.
All of the lugs are nervex, which I think makes it a pre-1968 at least. There's pinstriping around the headtube lugs and on the toptube. It has a Schwinn olympic decal on it. The proper decals on the downtube, no decals on the toptube. A bicycle shop decal from Austin, Texas, covering where the Reynolds 531 decal normally would be, though it could be underneath the bicycle shop decal. It has NR Campagnolo Pista cranks with no date on them (though I don't know whether Pista cranks are dated.)
If I get my christmas present back from warranty work tomorrow as promised, I will take jpegs of it if any are interested.
Thank you.
Cheers.
Tom
Tom Hayes
18585 Munn Road
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023
hayesbikes@nls.net
hayes@jcu.edu