Colleagues,  Jeffrey R. Wood kindly drew to our attention to eBay item
290069211591, a Steinway Model O circa 1911 Aeolian Themodist player
pumper grand piano in a plain mahogany case with a combined 65/88
player system [070107 MMDigest].  In Mercer Island, Washington, my
wife and I have precisely -- precisely -- the same piano.  Our serial
number is 149489, and we have papers to show that this piano went from
the Steinway shop to the Aeolian shop in January 1912.  The piano on
eBay has the serial number 146989.  Although 2,500 serial numbers
apart, one would think that these pianos must have been built very
close to each other in time.

Does anyone have an explanation for the significant gap in serial
numbers?  Any reason why both of them happen to end in 89 beyond
coincidence?

Thanks, in advance, for any insights anyone can provide.

Carl Dodrill
Mercer Island, Washington