Dating

With this table you can easily date your Zippo - from 1986 you can find the month also.
If this takes too long for you, you can use the search. Only direct hits will show up then.

Stamping left side:        Stamping right side:
Year Stamping Hinge Comment
1932 Image. B1: Bottom 1932 Image. H1: Hinge 1932  
1933 Image. B2: Bottom 1933 Image. H2: Hinge 1933  
1934 Image. B3: Bottom 1934 Image. H3: Hinge 1934  
1935 Image. B4: Bottom 1935 Image. H4: Hinge 1935  
1936 Image. B5: Bottom 1936 Image. H5: Hinge 1936
  • from 1936 an external 4 barrel hinge
  • with the end of 1936 an internal 4 barrel hinge
    		•
    1936 Image. B6: Bottom 1936 Image. H6: Hinge 1936 The first patent for Zippo has been given on the 03 of March 1936. The number was PAT. 2032695
    From the end of 1936 the number was pressed on the bottom
    1937 Image. B7: Bottom 1937 Image. H7: Hinge 1937  
    1938 Image. B8: Bottom 1938 Image. H8: Hinge 1938  
    1939 Image. B9: Bottom 1939 Image. H9: Hinge 1939  
    1940 Image. B10: Bottom 1940 Image. H10: Hinge 1940  
    1941 Image. B11: Bottom 1941 Image. H11: Hinge 1941  
    1942 Image. B12: Bottom 1942 Image. H12: Hinge 1942 In 1942 accidentally the wrong patentnumber came on the bottom. It was PAT. 203695 instead of PAT. 2032695 - they forgot one "2"
    1943 Image. B13: Bottom 1943 Image. H13: Hinge 1943 The so-called "Black-Crackle" Zippo's were produced between 1942 and 1946. All models before were produced of brass.
    Precious metals, especially brass, weren't available for non-militaric purposes and Zippo lighters were produced out of steel what was very vulnerable for rust. To protect them they were finished with a thick black epoxy film and finally baken. Today these Zippo's are called "Black Crackle".

    The bottom stamps of those lighter are very hard to read because of that finish
    1944 Image. B14: Bottom 1944 Image. H14: Hinge 1944
    1945 Image. B15: Bottom 1945 Image. H15: Hinge 1945
    1946 Image. B16: Bottom 1946 Image. H16: Hinge 1946
    1942 Image. B17: Bottom 1942 Image. H17: Hinge 1942  
    1943 Image. B18: Bottom 1943 Image. H18: Hinge 1943  
    1944 Image. B19: Bottom 1944 Image. H19: Hinge 1944  
    1945 Image. B20: Bottom 1945 Image. H20: Hinge 1945  
    1946 Image. B21: Bottom 1946 Image. H21: Hinge 1946  
    1947 Image. B22: Bottom 1947 Image. H22: Hinge 1947  
    1948 Image. B23: Bottom 1948 Image. H23: Hinge 1948  
    1949 Image. B24: Bottom 1949 Image. H24: Hinge 1949 In the end of 1949 the 3-barrel hinge was replaced with the 5-barrel hinge. This 5-barrel hinge is used until today
    1949 Image. B25: Bottom 1949 Image. H25: Hinge 1949
    1950 Image. B26: Bottom 1950 Image. H26: Hinge 1950 The leather-finished Zippo's were produced only in the 1950's
    1950 Image. B27: Bottom 1950 Image. H27: Hinge 1950
    1951 Image. B28: Bottom 1951 Image. H28: Hinge 1951  
    1952 Image. B29: Bottom 1952 Image. H29: Hinge 1952  
    1953 Image. B30: Bottom 1953 Image. H30: Hinge 1953 With the end of 1953 Zippo established a new patentnumber:
    PAT. 2032695 was replaced by PAT. 2517191
    1953 Image. B31: Bottom 1953 Image. H31: Hinge 1953
    1954 Image. B32: Bottom 1954 Image. H32: Hinge 1954  
    1955 Image. B33: Bottom 1955 Image. H33: Hinge 1955 With the end of the 1940's Zippo developed a new logo what appears on the lighter's bottom from the end of 1955
    1955 Image. B34: Bottom 1955 Image. H34: Hinge 1955
    1956 Image. B35: Bottom 1956 Image. H35: Hinge 1956 Slim Zippo's were established
    1957 Image. B36: Bottom 1957 Image. H36: Hinge 1957 Pat pending disappears from the bottom
    1958 Image. B37: Bottom 1958 Image. H37: Hinge 1958 PAT. 2517191 moves in the middle
    1959 Image. B38: Bottom 1959 Image. H38: Hinge 1959  
    1960 Image. B39: Bottom 1960 Image. H39: Hinge 1960  
    1961 Image. B40: Bottom 1961 Image. H40: Hinge 1961  
    1962 Image. B41: Bottom 1962 Image. H41: Hinge 1962  
    1963 Image. B42: Bottom 1963 Image. H42: Hinge 1963  
    1964 Image. B43: Bottom 1964 Image. H43: Hinge 1964  
    1965 Image. B44: Bottom 1965 Image. H44: Hinge 1965  
    1966 Image. B45: Bottom 1966 Image. H45: Hinge 1966  
    1967 Image. B46: Bottom 1967 Image. H46: Hinge 1967 From the first of September 1967 "PAT. 2517191" disappears from the bottom
    1967 Image. B47: Bottom 1967 Image. H47: Hinge 1967
    1968 Image. B48: Bottom 1968 Image. H48: Hinge 1968  
    1969 Image. B49: Bottom 1969 Image. H49: Hinge 1969 1969 the lighter production changed: From the mid of 1969 the canned bottom with a slightly modified "Zippo"-logo was used. Seeing that in 1969 both stiles can be found.
    1969 Image. B50: Bottom 1969 Image. H50: Hinge 1969
    1970 Image. B51: Bottom 1970 Image. H51: Hinge 1970  
    1971 Image. B52: Bottom 1971 Image. H52: Hinge 1971  
    1972 Image. B53: Bottom 1972 Image. H53: Hinge 1972  
    1973 Image. B54: Bottom 1973 Image. H54: Hinge 1973  
    1974 Image. B55: Bottom 1974 Image. H55: Hinge 1974  
    1975 Image. B56: Bottom 1975 Image. H56: Hinge 1975  
    1976 Image. B57: Bottom 1976 Image. H57: Hinge 1976  
    1977 Image. B58: Bottom 1977 Image. H58: Hinge 1977  
    1978 Image. B59: Bottom 1978 Image. H59: Hinge 1978  
    1979 Image. B60: Bottom 1979 Image. H60: Hinge 1979 In 1979 there was a rs_dating error:
    There was one slash on the logos left side instead of right.
    Wrong: / //, Right: // /
    That code error was corrected the same year.
    1979 Image. B61: Bottom 1979 Image. H61: Hinge 1979
    1980 Image. B62: Bottom 1980 Image. H62: Hinge 1980 Late 1970's was logo was redesigned and was first established 1980
    1981 Image. B63: Bottom 1981 Image. H63: Hinge 1981  
    1982 Image. B64: Bottom 1982 Image. H64: Hinge 1982  
    1983 Image. B65: Bottom 1983 Image. H65: Hinge 1983  
    1984 Image. B66: Bottom 1984 Image. H66: Hinge 1984  
    1985 Image. B67: Bottom 1985 Image. H67: Hinge 1985  
    1986 Image. B68: Bottom 1986 Image. H68: Hinge 1986 From the first of July on the "dot and slash system" was replaced by roman numbers.
    The roman II (on the logos right side) stands for 1986.
    Also new was the letter-implementation for the production's months. They appear on the logos left side.
    A for January, B for February, and so on
    1986 Image. B69: Bottom 1986 Image. H69: Hinge 1986
    1987 Image. B70: Bottom 1987 Image. H70: Hinge 1987  
    1988 Image. B71: Bottom 1988 Image. H71: Hinge 1988  
    1989 Image. B72: Bottom 1989 Image. H72: Hinge 1989  
    1990 Image. B73: Bottom 1990 Image. H73: Hinge 1990  
    1990 Image. B74: Bottom 1990 Image. H74: Hinge 1990 Now there's "BRADFORD, PA, MADE IN U.S.A." beneath the Zippo-logo
    1991 Image. B75: Bottom 1991 Image. H75: Hinge 1991  
    1992 Image. B76: Bottom 1992 Image. H76: Hinge 1992  
    1993 Image. B77: Bottom 1993 Image. H77: Hinge 1993 Zippo assumed the Case Corp. (1993-05-28)
    1994 Image. B78: Bottom 1994 Image. H78: Hinge 1994  
    1995 Image. B79: Bottom 1995 Image. H79: Hinge 1995  
    1996 Image. B80: Bottom 1996 Image. H80: Hinge 1996  
    1997 Image. B81: Bottom 1997 Image. H81: Hinge 1997  
    1998 Image. B82: Bottom 1998 Image. H82: Hinge 1998  
    1999 Image. B83: Bottom 1999 Image. H83: Hinge 1999  
    2000 Image. B84: Bottom 2000 Image. H84: Hinge 2000  
    2000 Image. B85: Bottom 2000 Image. H85: Hinge 2000  
    2001 Image. B86: Bottom 2001 Image. H86: Hinge 2001 From 2001 on the roman numbers disappear.
    Instead of them they show the last two digits of the production's year on the logos right side. No change with the months.
    2002 Image. B87: Bottom 2002 Image. H87: Hinge 2002 The "Armor Case" and the "MPL (Multi-Purpose-Lighter)" were added to the production line. The "Armor Case" can be recognized with the special bottom stamp.
    2003 Image. B88: Bottom 2003 Image. H88: Hinge 2003  
    2004 Image. B89: Bottom 2004 Image. H89: Hinge 2004  
    2005 Image. B90: Bottom 2005 Image. H90: Hinge 2005 From spring 2005 the © changes from beneath to upside the "o"
    2006 Image. B102: Bottom 2006 Image. H102: Hinge 2006  
    2007 Image. B103: Bottom 2007 Image. H103: Hinge 2007  
    2008 Image. B104: Bottom 2008 Image. H104: Hinge 2008  
    2009 Image. B105: Bottom 2009 Image. H105: Hinge 2009  
    2010 Image. B106: Bottom 2010 Image. H106: Hinge 2010  

    Thanks to Hamlet, whose images I used for this table. Here you can find his table: www.dateyourzippo.com