This is an extraordinary find for a number of reasons. Not least because of the unbroken provenance. The bike was recovered from the original owner in tatty but completely original condition, with photographs of the first owner on the bike and the original customer sales receipt. The current (second) owner has wisely only cleaned it up and regreased the bearings. All parts, transfers, box lining, paint and badge are preserved as original.
Now here's the topper: the model is Experto Crede Mk I; very few were made and only a handful have survived. The Mk I was replaced by the Mk II, but we do not know when because the ledgers do not distinguish between Mk Is and Mk IIs. So this one helps us to nail the date down a bit.
The frame number decodes as follows:
50 = year of production, 1950;
3535 = production sequence nr., being the three thousand five hundred thirty-fifth frame made since they started counting in Aug 1935.
Photos courtesy of Cally.
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