Bought an accordion on online auction can any one help me with the year and model. On the side has number written #241
241
241
I’ll pass on the photo to Accordion Service, we’ll see what they say
Steve
The Accordion Service dept. says this is a three row diatonic button accordion, an early example of what they refer to as an Italian Model. It appears to be one of the first instruments of this type, which were made by Hohner between 1903 and the 1920s. You presumably have a collector’s item here. Is the number #241 hand written or printed?
It is (or rather, was) a typical Hohner model No. 499 from the 1920s (the pre-WW1 version was smaller and had a different grille), but unfortunately somebody has destroyed it by applying a thick coat of paint all over the poor thing… 
The #241 is hand written, I will try to get a picture of the hand written number also has a signature of some sort will try to have a picture sometime this week. Thanks for the response, would love to restore it to it’s original conditions.
Accordion Service says the hand written number will be an internal production note. Serial numbers were first introduced in 1930.