How to determine the age of a Carl Zeiss lens

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Zeiss Lens Serial Numbers Between 1912 and 1942

Year of Manufacture – Serial Number Range
1912 – 173418-200520
1913-  208473-249350
1914 – 249886-252739
1915-  282820-
1916-  Unknown
1917 – 289087-298157
1918-  298115-322748
1919 – 322799-351611
1920 – 375194-419823
1921 – 433273-438361
1922 – 422899-498006
1923 – 561270-578297
1924 – 631869-
1925 – 652230-681743
1926 – 666790-703198
1927 – 722196-798251
1928 – 903096-
1929 – 919794-1016885
1930 – 922488-1239697
1931 – 1239699-1365582
1932 – 1364483-1389279
1933 – 1436671-1456003
1934 – 1500474-1590000
1935 – 1615764-1752303
1936 – 1674882-1942806
1937 – 1930150-2219775
1938 – 2267991-2527984
1939 – 2527999-2651211
1940  – Unknown
1941 – 2678326-2790346
1942 – 2799599-

Carl Zeiss

From: Wilkinson, M, and C Glanfield. ibid, Pages 99-101, Chapter 17
Carl Zeiss Jena Serial Numbers
 
Serial Number  - Year
173,418-200,520 - 1912   

208,473-249,350 - 1913   

249,886-252,739 - 1914   

282,800-284,500 - 1915   

285,200-288,100 - 1916   

289,087-298,157 - 1917   

298,215-322,748 - 1918   

322,799-351,611 - 1919  

375,194-419,823 - 1920  

433,273-438,361 - 1921   

422,899-498,006 - 1922   

561,270-578,297 - 1923   

631,500-578,297 - 1924  

631,500-648,500 - 1925   

666,790-703,198 - 1926   

722,196-798,251 - 1927

903,100-908,150 - 1928

919,794-1,016,885 - 1929

922,488-1,239,697 - 1930

1,239,699-1,365,582 -1931

1,364,483-1,389,279 - 1932

1,436,671-1,456,003 - 1933

1,500,474-1,590,000 - 1934

1,615,764-1,752,303 - 1935

1,674,882-1,942,806 - 1936

1,930,150-2,219,775 - 1937

2,267,991-2,527,984 - 1938

2,527,999-2,651,211 - 1939

2,652,000-2,678,000 - 1940

2,678,326-2,790,346 - 1941   
2,800,000- ? - 1942

 

Carl Zeiss Jena, East Germany

3,000,000-3,200,000 1945-1949
3,200,000-3,470,000 1949-1952
3,470,000-4,000,000 1952-1955
4,000,000-5,000,000 1955-1958
5,000,000-6,000,000 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

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

My Best Guesses for Carl Zeiss Jena Postwar Serial Numbers
Year –  Beginning Number vs. Ending Number

1950 – 3200000 3350000
1951 – 3350000 3500000
1952 – 3500000 3650000
1953 – 3650000 3850000
1954 – 3850000 4100000
1955 – 4100000 4300000
1956 – 4300000 4600000
1957 – 4600000 4900000
1958 – 4900000 5300000
1959 – 5300000 5600000
1960 – 5600000 5900000
1961 – 5900000 6200000
1962 – 6200000 6600000
1963 – 6600000 7000000
1964 – 7000000 7250000
1965 – 7250000 7600000
1966 – 7600000 8000000
1967 – 8000000 8300000
1968 – 8300000 8600000
1969 – 8600000 9000000

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