At 09:52 AM 9/29/2009, you wrote:
>A friend recently listed a Raleigh International on E-Bay for yet a
>different friend. He called me on the phone last night to ask me about it
>and I wasn't too excited. Looking at the pics this morning, I see that it
>appears to have fancier lugs than other International models I have seen.
>Were there varying levels of the International model or are these more
>ornate lugs significant of an earlier model that the other International on
>E-Bay ? My friend's is item # 200388989519 and I see it is a bit nicer to
>my eye than the item # 270460217906 that is also on E-Bay.
>
>You can tell that I am a bit out of my element discussing Raleigh bikes and
>your indulgence is requested.
>
>Tom Sanders
>
>Lansing, MI USA
Tom
Your friend's green Int is an early 73-ish model year (serial A 1082) and they had the different head lugs that you noticed. They're even accidentally listed in the specs in the catalog. Ints from other years, before and after, had the Nervex lugs that we generally associate with Ints. Much more common. The other bike you looked at is earlier, 72-ish model year from the serial number G 560.
And no, I still don't have an explanation for the occasional A#### serial numbers on some 73-ish model year Raleighs. They just are. I've seen them on some 73 model year Pros, Ints, RRAs, and Competitions, but not on all of them.
Larry Osborn
Bruceton Mills, West Virgina USA