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Identify your Zippo Lighter Production Date
For the first five years of production (1933-1936), the bottom of each Zippo lighter contained the legend "PAT. PENDING" in the lower left corner.
From then until 1957 this space contained the word "PAT." followed by the digits in the then-current patent number.
Due to shortages of brass and chrome during World War II, lighter cases were made of porous steel and painted with a black crackle finish. Zippo's entire production during this conflict was distributed to Army exchanges and Naval ship's stores. These lighters were uniquely identified by adding the number sign (" # ") in front of the patent number.
Starting in the late 1950's the bottom of every Zippo lighter featured a series of dots and slashes which served as code marks.
On July 1, 1986 the dots & slashes system was replaced by a year/lot code, in which the year is noted with Roman Numerals and the lot (or month of production) is designated by a letter (A=Jan., B=Feb., etc.).
By comparing the information on the bottom of a Zippo lighter to the following chart, you should be able to determine when that particular lighter was produced.
Year |
Regular Size Lighter |
Regular Size Lighter |
Slim Size Lighter |
Slim Size Lighter |
|
Left Side |
Right Side |
Left Side |
Right Side |
1933-36 |
PAT. PENDING |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
1937-49 |
PAT. 2032695 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
W.W. II |
PAT. #2032695 |
(Black Crackle Only) |
N/A |
N/A |
1950-56 |
PAT. 2517191 |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
1957 |
Full Stamp |
(with patent pending) |
. . . . |
. . . . |
1958 |
Full Stamp |
(no patent pending) |
. . . . |
. . . . |
1959 |
. . . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
1960 |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . |
1961 |
. . . |
. . |
. . |
. . |
1962 |
. . |
. . |
. . |
. |
1963 |
. . |
. |
. |
. |
1964 |
. |
. |
. |
N/A |
1965 |
. |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
1966 |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
1967 |
| | | | |
| | | |
| | | | |
| | | |
1968 |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
1969 |
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
1970 |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
1971 |
| | |
| |
| | |
| |
1972 |
| |
| |
| |
| |
1973 |
| |
N/A |
| |
N/A |
1974 |
/ / / / |
/ / / / |
/ / / / |
/ / / / |
1975 |
/ / / / |
/ / / |
/ / / / |
/ / / |
1976 |
/ / / |
/ / / |
/ / / |
/ / / |
1977 |
/ / / |
/ / |
/ / / |
/ / |
1978 |
/ / |
/ / |
/ / |
/ / |
1979 |
/ |
/ / |
/ / |
/ |
1980 |
/ |
/ |
/ |
/ |
1981 |
/ |
N/A |
/ |
N/A |
1982 |
\ \ \ \ |
\ \ \ \ |
\ \ \ \ |
\ \ \ \ |
1983 |
\ \ \ \ |
\ \ \ |
\ \ \ \ |
\ \ \ |
1984 |
\ \ \ |
\ \ \ |
\ \ \ |
\ \ \ |
1985 |
\ \ \ |
\ \ |
\ \ |
\ \ |
1986 |
\ \ |
\ \ |
\ \ |
\ \ |
1986 |
G to L |
I I |
G to L |
I I |
1987 |
A to L |
I I I |
A to L |
I I I |
1988 |
A to L |
I V |
A to L |
I V |
1989 |
A to L |
V |
A to L |
V |
1990 |
A to L |
V I |
A to L |
V I |
1991 |
A to L |
V I I |
A to L |
V I I |
1992 |
A to L |
V I I I |
A to L |
V I I I |
1993 |
A to L |
I X |
A to L |
I X |
1994 |
A to L |
X |
A to L |
X |
1995 |
A to L |
X I |
A to L |
X I |
1996 |
A to L |
X I I |
A to L |
X I I |
1997 |
A to L |
X I I I |
A to L |
X I I I |
1998 |
A to L |
X I V |
A to L |
X I V |
1999 |
A to L |
X V |
A to L |
X V |
2000 |
A to L |
X V I |
A to L |
X V I |
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Zippo
and the Zippo logo are registered trademarks of, and are
collectively the sole property of, Zippo Manufacturing Company, Bradford, PA., USA |
|
All rights reserved. All Zippo Manufacturing catalog images and text, as well as preceding year's images
and text, are the sole property of Zippo Manufacturing Company, Bradford, PA., USA |
|
Used by permission of Zippo Manufacturing. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998-2008,
Uptown Enterprises. All rights reserved. |
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