Leica Lens Dates 1931 to 1996
Here are the known Leica lens serial numbers by year. Starting in 1996 Leica no longer releases serial number information. The quantity column is an estimate as it is unlikely that Leica used all the numbers reserved for a given year. They probably rounded up to end on even numbers.
Start | End | Year | Qty | |
156,001 | 195,000 | 1933 | 39,000 | |
195,001 | 236,000 | 1934 | 41,000 | |
236,001 | 284,600 | 1935 | 48,600 | |
284,601 | 345,000 | 1936 | 60,400 | |
345,001 | 416,500 | 1937 | 71,500 | |
416,501 | 490,000 | 1938 | 73,500 | |
490,001 | 538,500 | 1939 | 48,500 | |
538,501 | 565,000 | 1940 | 26,500 | |
565,001 | 582,294 | 1941 | 17,294 | |
582,295 | 593,000 | 1942 | 10,706 | |
593,001 | 594,880 | 1943 | 1,880 | |
594,881 | 595,000 | 1944 | 120 | |
595,001 | 601,000 | 1945 | 6,000 | |
601,001 | 633,000 | 1946 | 32,000 | |
633,001 | 647,000 | 1947 | 14,000 | |
647,001 | 682,000 | 1948 | 35,000 | |
682,001 | 756,000 | 1949 | 74,000 | |
756,001 | 840,000 | 1950 | 84,000 | |
840,001 | 950,000 | 1951 | 110,000 | |
950,001 | 1,051,000 | 1952 | 101,000 | |
1,051,001 | 1,124,000 | 1953 | 73,000 | |
1,124,001 | 1,236,000 | 1954 | 112,000 | |
1,236,001 | 1,333,000 | 1955 | 97,000 | |
1,333,001 | 1,459,000 | 1956 | 126,000 | |
1,459,001 | 1,548,000 | 1957 | 89,000 | |
1,548,001 | 1,645,300 | 1958 | 97,300 | |
1,645,301 | 1,717,000 | 1959 | 71,700 | |
1,717,001 | 1,827,000 | 1960 | 110,000 | |
1,827,001 | 1,913,000 | 1961 | 86,000 | |
1,913,001 | 1,967,100 | 1962 | 54,100 | |
1,967,101 | 2,015,700 | 1963 | 48,600 | |
2,015,701 | 2,077,500 | 1964 | 61,800 | |
2,077,501 | 2,156,300 | 1965 | 78,800 | |
2,156,301 | 2,236,500 | 1966 | 80,200 | |
2,236,501 | 2,254,400 | 1967 | 17,900 | |
2,254,401 | 2,312,750 | 1968 | 58,350 | |
2,312,751 | 2,384,700 | 1969 | 71,950 | |
2,384,701 | 2,468,500 | 1970 | 83,800 | |
2,468,501 | 2,503,100 | 1971 | 34,600 | |
2,503,101 | 2,556,500 | 1972 | 53,400 | |
2,556,501 | 2,663,400 | 1973 | 106,900 | |
2,663,401 | 2,731,900 | 1974 | 68,500 | |
2,731,901 | 2,761,100 | 1975 | 29,200 | |
2,761,101 | 2,809,400 | 1976 | 48,300 | |
2,809,401 | 2,880,600 | 1977 | 71,200 | |
2,880,601 | 2,967,250 | 1978 | 86,650 | |
2,967,251 | 3,013,650 | 1979 | 46,400 | |
3,013,651 | 3,087,000 | 1980 | 73,350 | |
3,087,001 | 3,160,500 | 1981 | 73,500 | |
3,160,501 | 3,249,100 | 1982 | 88,600 | |
3,249,101 | 3,294,900 | 1983 | 45,800 | |
3,294,901 | 3,346,200 | 1984 | 51,300 | |
3,346,201 | 3,383,200 | 1985 | 37,000 | |
3,383,201 | 3,422,890 | 1986 | 39,690 | |
3,422,891 | 3,455,870 | 1987 | 32,980 | |
3,455,871 | 3,478,900 | 1988 | 23,030 | |
3,478,901 | 3,503,150 | 1989 | 24,250 | |
3,503,151 | 3,540,467 | 1990 | 37,317 | |
3,540,468 | 3,583,830 | 1991 | 43,363 | |
3,583,831 | 3,610,679 | 1992 | 26,849 | |
3,610,680 | 3,644,475 | 1993 | 33,796 | |
3,644,476 | 3,677,030 | 1994 | 32,555 | |
3,677,031 | 3,730,290 | 1995 | 53,260 | |
3,730,291 | 3,770,920 | 1996 | 40,630 | |
3,770,930 | 3,818,624 | 1997 | 47,695 | |
3,818,625 | 3,857,849 | 1998 | 39,225 | |
3,857,850 | 3,882,996 | 1999 | 25,147 | |
3,882,997 | ? | 2000 |
Source: Leica & G. Sartorius, Identifying Leica Lenses, and Michael Kastner.
For dates of Leica bodies see Cameraquest's extensive pages covering the Leica bodies at
http://www.cameraquest.com/ltmnum.htm