Compur serial numbers
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| Using a speculum (dentist's mirror) to read the serial number of a Compur shutter fitted in this Balda Baldinette image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights) |
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| The serial number of a Compur shutter fitted in this Ernemann Bob image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights) |
The Compur shutters made by the German company F. Deckel, based in München are a good avenue to date of cameras. The number can generally be found on the side rim of the shutter, between advance lever and release switch. Deckel never published production lists. However, as most cameras also carry body and lens serial numbers in addition, collectors have used correlations and other information to compile below lists. An early list has been published in a little french collector's booklet[1] and also appeared in other generally reliable publications [2]. This old assignment is shown in column 2 of below table. However, this older list did not address the introduction of the Compur-Rapid shutter in 1934, which obviously started fresh with 4,xxx,xxx (for Zeiss Ikon cameras) and 5,xxx,xxx serial numbers (for all other brands), while at the same time the older Compur shutter kept using the old consecutive numbering. A similar pattern can be observed for the introduction of the Rim-Set shutter in 1928, where Deckel started fresh with 2,xxx,xxx, and kept the old numbering scheme with 1,xxx,xxx for the Dial-Set shutter they kept producing for some time. Therefore, recently (2023) a more detailed assignment has been proposed based on >80 examples from different collections[3] (column 3 to 6). On this web-site the author also have programmed a little camera dating tool based on a series of serial number lists [4].
| Year | serial no. | Dial-Set | Rim-Set | Rapid (ZI) | Rapid (other) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| old assignment [1][2] | new, detailed assignment [3] | ||||
| 1912 | 214,000 | 214,000 | |||
| 1914 | 250,000 | 250,000 | |||
| 1920 | 450,000 | 500,000 | |||
| 1922 | 500,000 | 600,000 | |||
| 1925 | 600,000 | 850,000 | |||
| 1926 | 750,000 | 920,000 | |||
| 1927 | 850,000 | 950,000 | |||
| 1928 | 950,000 | 1,020,000 | 2,000,000 | ||
| 1929 | 1,000,000 | 1,100,000 | 2,050,000 | ||
| 1930 | 1,150,000 | 1,180,000 | 2,150,000 | ||
| 1931 | 1,500,000 | 1,190,000 | 2,350,000 | ||
| 1932 | 1,800,000 | 1,200,000 | 2,500,000 | ||
| 1933 | 2,250,000 | 1,210,000 | 2,700,000 | ||
| 1934 | 2,700,000 | 1,230,000 | 2,900,000 | 4,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 1935 | 3,200,000 | 1,250,000 | 3,250,000 | 4,050,000 | 5,050,000 |
| 1936 | 3,750,000 | 1,290,000 | 3,600,000 | 4,100,000 | 5,150,000 |
| 1937 | 4,250,000 | 1,330,000 | 3,950,000 | 4,200,000 | 5,300,000 |
| 1938 | 4,850,000 | 1,370,000 | A,250,000 | 4,350,000 | 5,500,000 |
| 1939 | 5,400,000 | 1,450,000 | A,450,000 | 4,450,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 1947 | 6,000,000 | 6,100,000 | |||
| 1948 | 6,200,000 | 6,150,000 | |||
| 1949 | 6,500,000 | 6,500,000 | |||
| 1950 | 7,000,000 | 7,000,000 | |||
| 1951 | 7,700,000 | 7,700,000 | |||
| 1952 | 8,500,000 | 8,500,000 | |||
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Patrice-Hervé Pont, Les Chiffres Cles, Fotosaga 1994, ISBN 2-906840-06-8, p 48/49
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wilkinson, M, and C Glanfield. 2001. A Lens Collector's Vade Mecum, CD-rom Version 3F. Edited by A. N. Wright. Cornwall, UK: David Matthews Associates. Chapter 12. Pages 65-66
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Knippsen.blogspot.com
- ↑ Camera dating tool at Knippsen.blogspot.com
