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Date Codes

With this table you can easily date your Zippo - from 1986 you can find the month also.
If this takes too long for you, you can use the search. Only direct hits will show up then.

The data you will find in this table are based on the regular models only. Other models (Slim, Armor, BottomzUp aso.) are not included.

Embossment left side:                     Embossment right side:
      
                                            
      
Year Embossment Hinge Comment
1932 Image. B1: Bottom Image. H1: Scharnier 1932
1933 Image. B2: Bottom Image. H2: Scharnier 1933
1934 Image. B3: Bottom Image. H3: Scharnier 1934
1935 Image. B4: Bottom Image. H4: Scharnier 1935
1936 Image. B5: Bottom Image. H5: Scharnier 1936
  • from 1936 an external 4 barrel hinge
  • with the end of 1936 an internal 4 barrel hinge
    		•
    1936 Image. B6: Bottom Image. H6: Scharnier 1936 The first patent for Zippo has been given on the 03 of March 1936. The number was PAT. 2032695
    From the end of 1936 the number was pressed on the bottom
    1937 Image. B7: Bottom Image. H7: Scharnier 1937
    1938 Image. B8: Bottom Image. H8: Scharnier 1938
    1939 Image. B9: Bottom Image. H9: Scharnier 1939
    1940 Image. B10: Bottom Image. H10: Scharnier 1940
    1941 Image. B11: Bottom Image. H11: Scharnier 1941
    1942 Image. B12: Bottom Image. H12: Scharnier 1942 In 1942 accidentally the wrong patentnumber came on the bottom. It was PAT. 203695 instead of PAT. 2032695 - they forgot one "2"
    1943 Image. B13: Bottom Image. H13: Scharnier 1943 The so-called "Black-Crackle" Zippo's were produced between 1942 and 1946. All models before were produced of brass.
    Precious metals, especially brass, weren't available for non-militaric purposes and Zippo lighters were produced out of steel what was very vulnerable for rust. To protect them they were finished with a thick black epoxy film and finally baken. Today these Zippo's are called "Black Crackle".

    The bottom stamps of those lighter are very hard to read because of that finish
    1944 Image. B14: Bottom Image. H14: Scharnier 1944
    1945 Image. B15: Bottom Image. H15: Scharnier 1945
    1946 Image. B16: Bottom Image. H16: Scharnier 1946
    1942 Image. B17: Bottom Image. H17: Scharnier 1942
    1943 Image. B18: Bottom Image. H18: Scharnier 1943
    1944 Image. B19: Bottom Image. H19: Scharnier 1944
    1945 Image. B20: Bottom Image. H20: Scharnier 1945
    1946 Image. B21: Bottom Image. H21: Scharnier 1946
    1947 Image. B22: Bottom Image. H22: Scharnier 1947
    1948 Image. B23: Bottom Image. H23: Scharnier 1948
    1949 Image. B24: Bottom Image. H24: Scharnier 1949 In the end of 1949 the 3-barrel hinge was replaced with the 5-barrel hinge. This 5-barrel hinge is used until today
    1949 Image. B25: Bottom Image. H25: Scharnier 1949
    1950 Image. B26: Bottom Image. H26: Scharnier 1950 The leather-finished Zippo's were produced only in the 1950's
    1950 Image. B27: Bottom Image. H27: Scharnier 1950
    1951 Image. B28: Bottom Image. H28: Scharnier 1951
    1952 Image. B29: Bottom Image. H29: Scharnier 1952
    1953 Image. B30: Bottom Image. H30: Scharnier 1953 With the end of 1953 Zippo established a new patentnumber:
    PAT. 2032695 was replaced by PAT. 2517191
    1953 Image. B31: Bottom Image. H31: Scharnier 1953
    1954 Image. B32: Bottom Image. H32: Scharnier 1954
    1955 Image. B33: Bottom Image. H33: Scharnier 1955 With the end of the 1940's Zippo developed a new logo what appears on the lighter's bottom from the end of 1955
    1955 Image. B34: Bottom Image. H34: Scharnier 1955
    1956 Image. B35: Bottom Image. H35: Scharnier 1956 Slim Zippo's were established
    1957 Image. B36: Bottom Image. H36: Scharnier 1957 Pat pending disappears from the bottom
    1958 Image. B37: Bottom Image. H37: Scharnier 1958 PAT. 2517191 moves in the middle
    1959 Image. B38: Bottom Image. H38: Scharnier 1959
    1960 Image. B39: Bottom Image. H39: Scharnier 1960
    1961 Image. B40: Bottom Image. H40: Scharnier 1961
    1962 Image. B41: Bottom Image. H41: Scharnier 1962
    1963 Image. B42: Bottom Image. H42: Scharnier 1963
    1964 Image. B43: Bottom Image. H43: Scharnier 1964
    1965 Image. B44: Bottom Image. H44: Scharnier 1965
    1966 Image. B45: Bottom Image. H45: Scharnier 1966
    1967 Image. B46: Bottom Image. H46: Scharnier 1967 From the first of September 1967 "PAT. 2517191" disappears from the bottom
    1967 Image. B47: Bottom Image. H47: Scharnier 1967
    1968 Image. B48: Bottom Image. H48: Scharnier 1968
    1969 Image. B49: Bottom Image. H49: Scharnier 1969 1969 the lighter production changed: From the mid of 1969 the canned bottom with a slightly modified "Zippo"-logo was used. Seeing that in 1969 both stiles can be found.
    1969 Image. B50: Bottom Image. H50: Scharnier 1969
    1970 Image. B51: Bottom Image. H51: Scharnier 1970
    1971 Image. B52: Bottom Image. H52: Scharnier 1971
    1972 Image. B53: Bottom Image. H53: Scharnier 1972
    1973 Image. B54: Bottom Image. H54: Scharnier 1973
    1974 Image. B55: Bottom Image. H55: Scharnier 1974
    1975 Image. B56: Bottom Image. H56: Scharnier 1975
    1976 Image. B57: Bottom Image. H57: Scharnier 1976
    1977 Image. B58: Bottom Image. H58: Scharnier 1977
    1978 Image. B59: Bottom Image. H59: Scharnier 1978
    1979 Image. B60: Bottom Image. H60: Scharnier 1979 In 1979 there was a rs_dating error:
    There was one slash on the logos left side instead of right.
    Wrong: / //, Right: // /
    That code error was corrected the same year.
    1979 Image. B61: Bottom Image. H61: Scharnier 1979
    1980 Image. B62: Bottom Image. H62: Scharnier 1980 Late 1970's was logo was redesigned and was first established 1980
    1981 Image. B63: Bottom Image. H63: Scharnier 1981
    1982 Image. B64: Bottom Image. H64: Scharnier 1982
    1983 Image. B65: Bottom Image. H65: Scharnier 1983
    1984 Image. B66: Bottom Image. H66: Scharnier 1984
    1985 Image. B67: Bottom Image. H67: Scharnier 1985
    1986 Image. B68: Bottom Image. H68: Scharnier 1986 From the first of July on the "dot and slash system" was replaced by roman numbers.
    The roman II (on the logos right side) stands for 1986.
    Also new was the letter-implementation for the production's months. They appear on the logos left side.
    A for January, B for February, and so on
    1986 Image. B69: Bottom Image. H69: Scharnier 1986
    1987 Image. B70: Bottom Image. H70: Scharnier 1987
    1988 Image. B71: Bottom Image. H71: Scharnier 1988
    1989 Image. B72: Bottom Image. H72: Scharnier 1989
    1990 Image. B73: Bottom Image. H73: Scharnier 1990
    1990 Image. B74: Bottom Image. H74: Scharnier 1990 Now there's "BRADFORD, PA, MADE IN U.S.A." beneath the Zippo-logo
    1991 Image. B75: Bottom Image. H75: Scharnier 1991
    1992 Image. B76: Bottom Image. H76: Scharnier 1992
    1993 Image. B77: Bottom Image. H77: Scharnier 1993 Zippo assumed the Case Corp. (1993-05-28)
    1994 Image. B78: Bottom Image. H78: Scharnier 1994
    1995 Image. B79: Bottom Image. H79: Scharnier 1995
    1996 Image. B80: Bottom Image. H80: Scharnier 1996
    1997 Image. B81: Bottom Image. H81: Scharnier 1997
    1998 Image. B82: Bottom Image. H82: Scharnier 1998
    1999 Image. B83: Bottom Image. H83: Scharnier 1999
    2000 Image. B84: Bottom Image. H84: Scharnier 2000
    2000 Image. B85: Bottom Image. H85: Scharnier 2000
    2001 Image. B86: Bottom Image. H86: Scharnier 2001 From 2001 on the roman numbers disappear.
    Instead of them they show the last two digits of the production's year on the logos right side. No change with the months.
    2002 Image. B87: Bottom Image. H87: Scharnier 2002 The "Armor Case" and the "MPL (Multi-Purpose-Lighter)" were added to the production line. The "Armor Case" can be recognized with the special bottom stamp.
    2003 Image. B88: Bottom Image. H88: Scharnier 2003
    2004 Image. B89: Bottom Image. H89: Scharnier 2004
    2005 Image. B90: Bottom Image. H90: Scharnier 2005 From spring 2005 the © changes from beneath to upside the "o"
    2006 Image. B102: Bottom Image. H102: Scharnier 2006
    2007 Image. B103: Bottom Image. H103: Scharnier 2007
    2008 Image. B104: Bottom Image. H104: Scharnier 2008
    2009 Image. B105: Bottom Image. H105: Scharnier 2009
    2010 Image. B106: Bottom Image. H106: Scharnier 2010
    2011 Image. B107: Bottom Image. H107: Scharnier 2011
    2012 Image. B108: Bottom Image. H108: Scharnier 2012
    2013 Image. B109: Bottom Image. H109: Scharnier 2013
    2014 Image. B110: Bottom Image. H110: Scharnier 2014
    2015 Image. B111: Bottom Image. H111: Scharnier 2015
    2016 Image. B112: Bottom Image. H112: Scharnier 2016

    Thanks to Hamlet, whose images I used for this table. Unfortunately his site is offline, here the former URL: www.dateyourzippo.com