Just obtained aa nice 4X5 Crown with S.N.885579 When was it manufactured please?

1953-54

Thanks for info!

And how about my 'new' Crown with s/n 978635? According to the manufacturing code on the bottom of the lenstrack (M4A) the camera was manufactured in December 1964. Does this match the s/n data?

Another question about these manufacturing codes (data on this very website) in the explanation of the second character, the 4 is explained as 1964 or 1974. But didn't Graflex go tits-up in 1973?

Well that's one way of putting it!!

yeah they did fade away in 73, but this numbering system started in either '59 or 60, I have one from '61, so while the example may not be chonological, the idea is.

Yes the date code is in keeping with the serial number. The date code will always be more accurate than the serial numbers because it's stamped on the camera at the time. Serial numbers were assigned and then used as needs. I've seen gaps between serial numbers and date codes of two years. Yours is more like 3 months.

Les, Gandolf,

Thanks for this info.