Page 119 - Zippo-Katalog | Version 2020 | Media Lab

As with most collectibles, the date of manufacture of a Zippo lighter often affects its value. Valuable information on the bottom of every Zippo lighter can help you determine its date of manufacture. Most lighters fabricated between 1933 and 1957 can be identified by style and model and the patent or patent-pending marks.
Starting in the mid 50s, date codes were stamped on the bottom. The original purpose was for quality control. The date codes have since become an invalu- able tool for Zippo collectors.
The appearance of the word “Zippo” in the bottom stamp provides another clue to dating. There have been three major changes, as shown in inset. From 1933 to the mid 50s the word Zippo was stamped in block letters.
The Zippo script logo was developed in the late 40s and was phased-in on the lighter bottom stamp around 1955. In the late 70s the logo was redesigned. It was incorporated into the bottom stamp in 1980.
(1933 - 1954)
(1955 - 1979) (1980 - Present)
1933
1937 - c.1950
1942 - 1946
c.1950 - c.1957
c.1950 - c.1957
Patent Pending
Patent 2032695
Black Crackle, Patent 203695.
Patent 2517191
1
1 On some lighters, this number was stamped in error, should have been Patent 2032695.
2 Zippo records indicate an overlap of bottom stamp configurations from 1949- 1957.
3 Some lighters produced between 1955-57 were date coded; however, specifics remain unclear.
4 In 1979 an error was made in the date code. One of the slash marks
was removed from the left of the Zippo trademark instead of being removed from the right; thus the code read: / //. This date code
error was corrected within the same year to read: // /
5 Effective July 1, 1986 the dot and slash system was replaced by year / month code. Year is coded by Roman numeral; letter designates month (A=January, B=February, etc.)
6 Beginning in 2001, the Roman numerals indicating the year were replaced with numbers corresponding to the last digits of the year of manufacture.
7 The first Zippo BLU® butane cases were made in 2005. The date code is the same format as regular windproof lighters.
*Code is subject to change without notice.
Slim Lighter Identification Codes
Slim lighters were first introduced in 1956, with a flat bottom and no date code. The first markings were added in 1957 and overlapped into 1958. From 1957-1965 the code configuration on the slim lighters differed from the regular lighters. From 1966 on, the configuration has been the same.
Regular Lighter Identification Codes
2
3
Patent 2517191 with patent pending
1958 Patent Pending • • • •
• • • •
• • •
• • •
• •
• •
1984
1985
1986 5 1986 1987 1988 1989
\ \ \ \ \ \
\ \ \ \ \
\ \ \ \
G to L I I
A to L I I I
A to L IV
A to L V
A to L VI
A to L VII
A to L VIII
A to L IX
A to L X
A to L XI
A to L XII
A to L XIII
A to L XIV
A to L XV
A to L XVI
A to L 01
A to L 02
A to L 03
A to L 04
A to L 05
to
A to L 10
to
A to L 20*
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1980
1981
1982
1983
• •• •
•••
•••
••
•• •
• • 1990
•
IIII IIII
IIII III
III III
III II
II II
III
II
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001 6 2002 2003 2004 2005 7
to
2010
to
2020
I
/// /
/// /
///
///
//
/ / / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ /
//
1957
1958
1959
1960
• • • •
• • • •
• • • • • • •
1961 • •
1962 • •
• •
•
• • • •
• • • •
• • •
• • •
• • •
• •
1963 • •
1964 •
1965
1979 4 / / / // /
//
/
\\ \\
\\ \\
\ \ \ \
\ \ \
119
Bottom Stamp codes