Raleigh Sports Serial Number

[King Raleigh]

Hi. New member here. I have a 1976 Ladies Raleigh Sports and I don't know how to read to the serial number. This Raleigh has the serial stamp under the bottom bracket instead of on the seat tube, and seems to be coded differently; while the regular serial codes for Raleigh Sports had 2 letters and then about 7 numbers, this Sports has simply four numbers, and they don't even look like they were stamped well. No letters.

I've heard of Raleighs with 531 seat tubes being stamped differently. Does anybody know if this is a 531 seat tube AND how to read this serial code?

Thanks in advance,
-King Raleigh

[Criminal]

@King Raleigh Sports models do not use 531 tubing; Raleigh's "proprietary tubing" of high tensile steel alloy was used on those frames. No reason to put a lightweight tube on a 45 pound bike.

I would not get too hung up on the serial number. Raleigh used various means of numbering in various locations. The number you see might be partially obscured by paint; especially if stamped unevenly leaving part of the serial # faint and easily covered. Nothing much special about 70s Sports dince they were made in the millions. If original rear hub, the date on it is generally the year before or the same year as the frame model. Some #s are not factory but are identication #s (usuallt causes paint loss since it is stamped after purchase by owners, police, etc.