Dating Zippo Lighters
Zippo lighters are a fast growing collectible that everyone can afford. You can find them in yard sales, auctions, flea markets, pretty much anywhere in the world. One of the fascinating aspects of this collectible is that it never seems to go out of style, Zippo's were cool when Bogart used them and they still are today!
Determining the date of manufacture for a Zippo is somewhat like deciphering ancient, mysterious texts. Here is the rosetta stone.
The bottom of every Zippo lighter features a series of symbols which serve as code marks. When matched to the chart below, you can determine what year the lighters were produced.
Year |
Regular Lighter
Left Side |
Regular Lighter
Right Side |
Slim Lighter
Left Side |
Slim Lighter
Right Side |
| 1932 | Patent Pending |
 |
|
|
| 1937 | Patent | 2032695 |
|
|
| 1950 | Patent | 2517191 |
|
|
| 1957 | Full stamp with | patent pending |
. . . . |
. . . . |
| 1958 | Full stamp, no
. . . . |
patent pending
. . . . |
|
|
| 1959 |
. . . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
| 1960 |
. . . |
. . . |
. . . |
. . |
| 1961 |
. . . |
. . |
. . |
. . |
| 1962 |
. . |
. . |
. . |
. |
| 1963 |
. . |
. |
. |
. |
| 1964 |
. |
. |
. |
|
| 1965 |
. |
|
|
|
| 1966 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1967 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1968 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1969 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1970 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1971 | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1972 | | | | | | | | |
| 1973 | | |
|
| |
|
| 1974 | //// | //// | //// | //// |
| 1975 | //// | /// | //// | /// |
| 1976 | /// | /// | /// | /// |
| 1977 | /// | // | /// | // |
| 1978 | // | // | // | // |
| 1979 | / | // | // | / |
| 1980 | / | / | / | / |
| 1981 | / |
|
/ |
|
| 1982 | \\\\ | \\\\ | \\\\ | \\\\ |
| 1983 | \\\\ | \\\ | \\\\ | \\\ |
| 1984 | \\\ | \\\ | \\\ | \\\ |
| 1985 | \\\ | \\ | \\\ | \\ |
| 1986 | \\ | \\ | \\ | \\ |
Year |
Regular Lighter
Left Side |
Regular Lighter
Right Side |
Slim Lighter
Left Side |
Slim Lighter
Right Side |
| 1986 | G to L | II | G to L | II |
| 1987 | A to L | III | A to L | III |
| 1988 | A to L | IV | A to L | IV |
| 1989 | A to L | V | A to L | V |
| 1990 | A to L | VI | A to L | VI |
| 1991 | A to L | VII | A to L | VII |
| 1992 | A to L | VIII | A to L | VIII |
| 1993 | A to L | IX | A to L | IX |
| 1994 | A to L | X | A to L | X |
| 1995 | A to L | XI | A to L | XI |
| 1996 | A to L | XII | A to L | XII |
| 1997 | A to L | XIII | A to L | XIII |
| 1998 | A to L | XIV | A to L | XIV |
| 1999 | A to L | XV | A to L | XV |
| 2000 | A to L | XVI | A to L | XVI |
