A number 3 should be a curved needle machine with painted parts. Serial 602,515 would date to about 1871. A #1 has silver plated parts & a #2 had bronze plated parts. So far I have never seen a #2.
You are fortunate to have a hand crank #8. These were made mostly for export so ones that turn up have usually been "Re-Imported" & usually sell for a rather high price. The #8 is a very nice machine, mine is in a treadle & I like it very much.
Look at my resent reply to Beka & you can open the link to the 1866 Ladies Almanac from the Smithsonian. It is rather interesting & has catalog listings throughout.?
Miller/TN
On Saturday, March 17, 2018 1:02 PM, jpwest1951 via Groups.Io <jpwest1951@...> wrote:
I'm JPWest from Wichita. ?I have (I think) a No. 3, 1876 W&W treadle, serial 602515. ?And, I just acquired a No. 8 hand crank that I think is about 1885, although the last patent date is Aug 24 1878. ?The date on the bobbin holder is 1880. I'm glad to have found this group of experts - I have yet to get either machine to sew very well, but as the summer progresses, great hopes arise!
