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My attempt to photograph two ID plates. The Smithsonian no longer allows monopods for photography, and the engine is behind guard rails, so none of the text is discernible, even in the full-resolution version of this photo.

I did not notice this at the time, but toward the left (behind the circular fitting ringed with bolts) can be seen the white stencilled digits "204" followed by a digit that looks like it could be a '6' (it definitely does not look like a '9'). Rocketdyne used a different serial number scheme for its F-1 engines than did NASA, although only the first digit of the serial numbers differed; in this case, a Rocketdyne serial number of "2046" would correspond to a NASA serial number of "F-6046". Of course, this is engine F-6049, so the mismatch is somewhat curious but is not the first instance where the serial number on the throat is different from the serial number on the thrust chamber (in the linked instances, the thrust chamber in the foreground at right has "2010" on its throat but the engine at left has "F-2010" on the lower portion of its thrust chamber).

In all cases, it is the NASA serial number which would appear on an engine's "master" ID plate.

 
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Time picture taken Sun Jun 19 14:25:08 2011
Location picture taken Ground Level
James S. McDonnell Space Hangar
Udvar Hazy Center
Chantilly, VA
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