The following is a collection of serial numbers for large format lens manufacturers. For the most part, the information has been culled from Wilkinson, Glanfield and Wrights' magisterial Lens Collector's Vade Mecum, a data base available on CD-rom. Other sources of information include web-pages and anonymous information passed down to me through others.
- Goerz Lens Serial Numbers Lookup
- Goerz Lens Serial Numbers 222
- Goerz Berlin Lens Serial Numbers
- Goerz Lens Serial Numbers Online
- Goerz Lens Serial Numbers
- Goerz Lens Serial Numbers Doreen
There is a real absence of information on large format lenses. Of the contemporary makers, only Schneider has made a great effort to provide information, the other lens makers have been less forthcoming. However Rodenstock serial numbers, the other major European manufacturer, have been posted by Kerry Thalman. There are a few web-pages, both official and unofficial, for other three manufacturers, Congo, Nikon, (Unofficial and Official) and Fuji,(also here). However, serial numbers are, to my knowledge, entirely lacking.
It will have a tractor number, unit number and model number. Check iPhone imei or Serial number for any APPLE device. Wilson & Sons - Ottawa) (Click PIC to Enlarge) (Click PIC to Enlarge) Ross was licensed to make lenses to Goerz's patents Serial number probably for accounting royalties to Goerz Ross Zeiss Anastigmat 11. Scr - Number of screws in the lens mount, useful for identifying pre-AI and AI versions 5- = 5 slot screws 3+ = 3 cross-head screws etc Notes - Identifying features of the lens and points of interest; Start No - Serial number of first lens made; Confirmed - Earliest and latest serial numbers seen ^ lens added to list in last 6 months † bought new in last 6 months.
Zeiss no longer makes large format lenses, and consequently has little interest or incentive to provide this information. Goerz, and Ross are long gone, and Voigtländer exists only in name. Taylor, Taylor & Hobson is also gone, although its one time subsidiary, Cooke, has recently returned to the fold, and is now making a 4x5 portrait lens. In any case, none of these companies provides any sort of information regarding the lenses they once made. This page is a modest attempt to provide one form of information, serial number-year correspondences.
Caveat: While I would like to make this collection as accurate as possible, I cannot make any claims as to the accuracy of any of the information. If you find something which you find of questionable validity, please do not hesitate to contact me. Or, if you have any information on large format lens serial numbers, for the manufactures list above, or any other, kindly forward them to me, and I will attempt to incorporate them.
Compur
From: Wilkinson, M, and C Glanfield. 2001. A Lens Collector's Vade Mecum, CD-rom Version 3F. Edited by A. N. Wright. Cornwall, UK: David Matthews Associates. Pages 65-66, Chapter 12
1912 | 2,700,000 | |
250,000 | 3,200,000 | 1935 |
1920 | 3,750,000 | |
500,000 | 4,250,000 | 1937 |
1925 | 4,850,000 | |
750,000 | 5,400,000 | 1939 |
1927 | 6,000,000 | |
950,000 | Gpg4win for mac. 6,200,000 | 1948 |
1929 | 6,500,000 | |
1,150,000 | 7,000,000
| 1950 |
1931 | 7,700,000 | |
1,800,000 | 8,500,000 | 1952 |
1933 |
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From: http://www.sci.fi/~animato/lumiere/lumiere.html
450000 |
500000 |
600000 |
750000 |
850000 |
950000 |
1000000 |
1150000 |
1500000 |
1800000 |
2250000 |
2700000 |
3200000 |
5400000 |
.
Goerz Lens Serial Numbers Lookup
Goerz American Optical Company
From Eddie Bolsetzian (former Goerz Tech.) provided by Michael Buchmeier, on the Large Format Home Page, More on classic lenses.
| 70001-140935 | 1902-1903 |
| 150000-190170 | 1903-1905 |
| 200941-224267 | 1906-1908 |
| 223775-226630 | 1908-1909 |
| 310001-315734 | 1911-1914 |
| 315735-320000 | 1914-1918 |
| 751240-756909 | 1927-1937 |
| 755300 | 1934 |
| 756910-765730 | 1937-1945 |
| 765730-771199 | 1945-1948 |
| 771200-780169 | 1948-1954 |
| 791500 | ~1955 |
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Goerz Lens Serial Numbers 222
Ross
From: Wilkinson, M, and C Glanfield. ibid, Pages 87-88, Chapter 11
| 1840 | 86,000 | 1918 |
| 1850 | 95,000 | 1921 |
| 1860 | 100,000 | 1924 |
| 1870 | 105,000 | 1925 |
| 1875 | 110,000 | 1927 |
| 1880 | 115,000 | 1930 |
| 1885-1890 | 120,000 | 1931 |
| 1890-1895 | 125,000 | 1933 |
| 1911 | 140,000 | 1939 |
| 1918 | 200,000 | 1947 |
| 1921 | 213,000 | 1946-7 |
| 1924 | 250,000 | 1960 |
| 1925 |
.
Taylor, Taylor & Hobson
From: Wilkinson, M, and C Glanfield. ibid, Page 71, Chapter 13
Goerz Berlin Lens Serial Numbers
| 100 | 1895 |
| 5,000 | 1900 |
| 19,500 | 1914 |
| 71,000 | 1918 |
| 117,xxx | 1926-7 |
| 250,000 | 1939 |
| 303,xxx | 1944 |
| 300,xxx | 1947 |
| 688,03x | 1965 |
Voigtländer
From: Wilkinson, M, and C Glanfield. ibid, Pages 6-9, Chapter 14
see also: http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/sn.htm
1796-184?, Marked 'Voigtländer & Sohn in Wien'
Year | Year | |
| 4033 | 139,108 | 1917 |
| 5000 | 142,853 | 1918 |
| 10,000 | 144,419 | 1919 |
| 27,449 | 154,426 | 1920 |
| 30,000 | 160,008 | 1921 |
| 31,000 | 172,136 | 1922 |
| 32,000 | 194,086 | 1923 |
| 34,000 | 216,948 | 1924 |
| 36,000 | 227,929 | 1925 |
| 38,000 - 39496 | 248,505 | 1926 |
| 40,000 | 279,710 | 1927 |
| 41,911 | 365,562 | 1928 |
| 43,685 | 537,338 | 1929 |
| 45,431 | 671,174 | 1933 |
| 46,454 | 803,220 | 1934 |
| 47,771 | 1,026,690 | 1935 |
| 49,084 | 2,000,000 | 1937 |
| 54,168 | 2,718,530 | 1942 |
| 54,896 | 2,700,000 | 1945 |
| 65,691 | 3,000,000 | 1947 |
| 68,193 | 3,220,000 | 1951 |
| 70,682 | 3,300,500 | 1952 |
| 72,638 | 3,461,400 | 1953 |
| 75,479 | 3,600,000 | 1954 |
| 79,288 | 3,731,000 | 1955 |
| 83,477 | 4,001,000 | 1956 |
| 88,057 | 4,303,000 | 1957 |
| 97,999 | 4,514,000 | 1958 |
| 101,649 | 4,802,000 | 1959 |
| 105,778 | 5,033,000 | 1960 |
| 110,347 | 5,473,000 | 1961 |
| 113,569 | 5,900,000 | 1962 |
| 118,634 - 125,975 | 6,219,000 | 1963 |
| 126,001 | 6,423,000 | 1964 |
| 132,726 | 6,664,222 | 1965 |
| 137,682 | 9,999,999-10,000,150 | 1971 |
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Carl Zeiss Jena Serial Numbers
See also: http://home.sprynet.com/~stspring/Zeiss%20Ikon.html
| Serial Number | Serial Number | Year |
| 173,418-200,520 | 903,100-908,150 | 1928 |
| 208,473-249,350 | 919,794-1,016,885 | 1929 |
| 249,886-252,739 | 922,488-1,239,697 | 1930 |
| 282,800-284,500 | 1,239,699-1,365,582 | 1931 |
| 285,200-288,100 | 1,364,483-1,389,279 | 1932 |
| 289,087-298,157 | 1,436,671-1,456,003 | 1933 |
| 298,215-322,748 | 1,500,474-1,590,000 | 1934 |
| 322,799-351,611 | 1,615,764-1,752,303 | 1935 |
| 375,194-419,823 | 1,674,882-1,942,806 | 1936 |
| 433,273-438,361 | 1,930,150-2,219,775 | 1937 |
| 422,899-498,006 | 2,267,991-2,527,984 | 1938 |
| 561,270-578,297 | 2,527,999-2,651,211 | 1939 |
| 631,500-578,297 | 2,652,000-c2,678,000 | 1940 |
| 631,500-648,500 | 2,678,326-2,790,346 | 1941 |
| 666,790-703,198 | 2,800,000- ? | 1942 |
| 722,196-798,251 |
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Goerz Lens Serial Numbers Online
Carl Zeiss Jena, East Germany
Goerz Lens Serial Numbers
| 1945-1949 | |
3,200,000-3,470,000 | 1949-1952 |
| 1952-1955 | |
4,000,000-5,000,000 | 1955-1958 |
| 1958-1961 | |
| 6,000,000-6,000,000 | 1961-1964 |
| 7,000,000-8,000,000 | 1964-1967 |
| 8,000,000-9,000,000 | 1967-1970 |
| 9,000,000-10,000,000 | 1970-1975 |
Goerz Lens Serial Numbers Doreen
Carl Zeiss (Opton), Oberkochen, West Germany.
| 10,000-500,000 | 1946-1951 |
| 500,000-1,100,000 | 1951-1953 |
| 1,100,000-2,600,000 | 1953-1959 |
| 2,600,000-3,000,000 | 1959-1961 |
| 3,000,000-4,000,000 | 1961-1965 |
| 4,000,000-5,000,000 | 1965-1969 |
| 5,000,000-6,000,000 | 1969-1971 |
| 6,000,000-7.300,000 | 1971-1975 |