Here is a quick and easy way to get the year of manufacturing of Leica lenses (L, R, and screw mount) based on the serial number which is located on the front of the lens:
Update: A reader just sent me another way of determining the production year of Leica cameras and lenses: just got to this website, and type the serial number.
And another update on the serial numbers after 2004:
4 000 000-4 010 600: 2004
4 010 601-4 025 900: 2005
4 025 901-4 034 900: 2006
4 034 901-4 057 000: 2007
4 057 001-4 080 000: 2008
4 080 001–> 2009
| Serial number
start – end: |
Year of manufacturing | |
| 156 001-195 000 | 1933 | |
| 195 001-236 000 | 1934 | |
| 236 001-284 600 | 1935 | |
| 284 601-345 000 | 1936 | |
| 345 001-416 500 | 1937 | |
| 416 501-490 000 | 1938 | |
| 490 001-538 500 | 1939 | |
| 538 501-565 000 | 1940 | |
| 565 001-582 294 | 1941 | |
| 582 295-593 000 | 1942 | |
| 593 001-594 880 | 1943 | |
| 594 881-595 000 | 1944 | |
| 595 001-601 000 | 1945 | |
| 601 001-633 000 | 1946 | |
| 633 001-647 000 | 1947 | |
| 647 001-682 000 | 1948 | |
| 682 001-756 000 | 1949 | |
| 756 001-840 000 | 1950 | |
| 840 001-950 000 | 1951 | |
| 950 001-1 051 000 | 1952 | |
| 1 051 000-1 124 000 | 1953 | |
| 1 124 001-1 236 000 | 1954 | |
| 1 236 001-1 333 000 | 1955 | |
| 1 333 001-1 459 000 | 1956 | |
| 1 459 001-1 548 000 | 1957 | |
| 1 548 001-1 645 300 | 1958 | |
| 1 645 301-1 717 000 | 1959 | |
| 1 717 001-1 827 000 | 1960 | |
| 1 827 001-1 913 000 | 1961 | |
| 1 913 001-1 967 100 | 1962 | |
| 1 967 101-2 015 700 | 1963 | |
| 2 015 701-2 077 500 | 1964 | |
| 2 077 501-2 156 300 | 1965 | |
| 2 156 301-2 236 500 | 1966 | |
| 2 236 501-2 254 400 | 1967 | |
| 2 254 401-2 312 750 | 1968 | |
| 2 312 751-2 384 700 | 1969 | |
| 2 384 701-2 468 500 | 1970 | |
| 2 468 501-2 503 100 | 1971 | |
| 2 503 101-2 556 500 | 1972 | |
| 2 556 501-2 663 400 | 1973 | |
| 2 663 401-2 731 900 | 1974 | |
| 2 731 901-2 761 100 | 1975 | |
| 2 761 101-2 809 400 | 1976 | |
| 2 809 401-2 880 600 | 1977 | |
| 2 880 601-2 967 250 | 1978 | |
| 2 967 251-3 013 650 | 1979 | |
| 3 013 651-3 087 000 | 1980 | |
| 3 087 001-3 160 500 | 1981 | |
| 3 160 501-3 249 100 | 1982 | |
| 3 249 101-3 294 900 | 1983 | |
| 3 294 901-3 346 200 | 1984 | |
| 3 346 201-3 383 200 | 1985 | |
| 3 383 201-3 422 890 | 1986 | |
| 3 422 891-3 455 870 | 1987 | |
| 3 455 871-3 478 900 | 1988 | |
| 3 478 901-3 503 150 | 1989 | |
| 3 503 151-3 540 467 | 1990 | |
| 3 540 468-3 583 830 | 1991 | |
| 3 585 831-3 610 680 | 1992 | |
| 3 610 381-3 644 475 | 1993 | |
| 3 644 476-3 677 030 | 1994 | |
| 3 677 031-3 730 290 | 1995 | |
| 3 730 291-3 770 920 | 1996 | |
| 3 770 930-3 818 624 | 1997 | |
| 3 818 625-3 857 849 | 1998 | |
| 3 857 850-3 882 996 | 1999 | |
| 3 882 997-4 000 000 | 2000 ~ 2004 | |
| 4000000 and above | After 2004 |
