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Understanding Zippo date codes

A
arjun_chennai
OP

New collectors often struggle with Zippo dating. Here's a quick guide:

Pre-1957: No date codes
1957-1985: Dots and slashes
1986-2000: Roman numerals
2001+: Month and year letters

The date is on the bottom, left side is month, right is year.

Jan 13, 2026 20:47 249 views

5 Replies

N
neha_collector

The transition years are interesting. Some Zippos from late 1957 might not have codes yet.

Jan 15, 2026 11:31
S
sneha_lighters

Pro tip: there are specific charts online for exact dot/slash combinations. Worth bookmarking.

Jan 15, 2026 21:16
A
arun_zippo

The Zippo website has the official date code guide. But this summary is great for quick reference!

Jan 16, 2026 06:08
A
anjali_brass

Also note that replacement inserts won't match the case date. Look at both for complete picture.

Jan 16, 2026 18:58
S
sanjay_flame

This is super helpful! I always had to look this up. The pre-1957 ones are trickiest to date.

Jan 17, 2026 02:13

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