A reference guide for decoding production date codes on various pipe tobacco tins and cans.

Pulled from Badger & Blade and Dutch Pipes Smoker

Peterson

YYDDMMXXXX

Orlik

YYXXMMXXDD

Orlik/STG vs MacBaren

On the backside of similar Capstan tins, the Orlik/STG tin has 10 digits and then 4, while the MacBaren one has 8 and then 5.

MacBaren tin code:

  • 09 = Packing machine used
  • 13 = Year of packing
  • 028 = Calendar day of production
  • 1 = Shift (1 indicates day shift)
  • The 5 digit number is the internal batch number

Orlik/STG tin code:

  • 12 = Year of packing
  • 08 = Calendar day of production
  • 02 = Month of packing
  • The 4 digit number is an internal batch number

This tin comes from February 8th, 2012.

Cornell & Diehl

mmddyy

GL Pease

mmddyy

McClelland

XXXXYY

Mac Baren

  • (old) XXYYDDDX
  • (new) date printed on can

Dunhill

yymmXXXX

Peter Stokkebye

yymmXXXX

Scandinavian Tobacco

XXXXYMDX

  • CB = The manufacturer: Scandinavian Tobacco in Assens/Denmark
  • 31 = The machine on which it was produced
  • 2 = The year of production starting with 2010 (2012)
  • C = The month of production in order A-L (March)
  • 8 = The day of production within that month (March 8th)
  • C = Plant Shift

Samuel Gawith

DDMMM

Last 3 digits of code is Month starting December 1995. So December 1995 is 001, December 1996 is 013.

Germain

XXXYMMX

Where Y = Letter code for year with A = 2016

Esoterica (older than 2016, then use Germain dating)

YXXXMMX

Where Y = last digit of year after 2010

Kohlhase and Kopp

Letter code

Where Y = letter code for year starting in 2000

Altria (may not be correct for all)

xDDDxY

  • The first character refers to its location
  • The next 3 digits are the Julian date (day of the year manufactured)
  • The next character refers to the shift (X, Y, or Z)
  • The next digit refers to the year
  • The last three digits refer to the case packer

Peter Stokkebye (week code)

  • First four digits = Batch Number
  • Second set of four digits = Production date:
    • 1st and 2nd numbers = last two digits of production year
    • 3rd and 4th numbers = week of production (1-52 weeks in a year)

Last edited: Aug 27, 2022