[Leica] M6 HM Serial Numbers: 3130 Total Production 3/15/04

Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]
Subject: [Leica] M6 HM Serial Numbers: 3130 Total Production 3/15/04
From: red735i at earthlink.net (Frank Filippone)
Date: Sat Sep 4 06:33:26 2004
> S/N To Date 03/15/04.
> This is a list of all reported M6HM (0.85) Classic Serial numbers by LUG
> members, Ebay Sales, and referrals from individuals from Stephen Gandy's
> WEB Pages......  www.cameraquest.com
> Total is  239 cameras out of the entire production of 3130, as documented
> by Leica.
> The list is hardly complete but should be used as a guide.
> The notation of US or Hong Kong etc. is the country the camera was FIRST
> purchased in.
> 
> I have an email from Leica AG, Mr. Stefan Danial-Leica Camera AG Produkt
> Management, M-System.  
> That email states there was a total production of M6HM of 3,130 units.  I
> have confirmed that report with him directly.
> 
> Standard Engraving  as engraved on the back of the camera
> Line 1   ?LEICA CAMERA?
> Lne 2 ?MADE IN GERMANY?
> 
> 1,915,038 Germany, Standard Engraving
> 
> 1,917,990  Europe
> 
> 2,063,489 Europe Standard Engraving... Calumet England
> 
> 2.184,373 US Standard Engraving ... Titanium .. VF Modified..... THIS IS
> NOT A FACTORY CAMERA
> 
> 2,284,711 Germany Standard Engraving ( warranty card declares Classic
> 0.85) 
> 
> 2,296,539  Hong Kong
> 
> 2,414,433  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,414,454  US Standard Engraving
> 2,414,499  Asia Standard Engraving
> 2,414,565  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,414,591  US Standard Engraving
> 2,414,629  Canada Standard Engraving
> 2,414,683  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,414,691  US Standard Engraving
> 2,414,835  Canada Standard Engraving
> 2,414,841  US Standard Engraving
> 2,414,849  Asia Standard Engraving
> 
> 
> 2,415,034  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,092  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,207  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,252  US
> 2.415,277  US  Standard Engraving
> 2,415,317  Asia Standard Engraving
> 2,415,322  US
> 2,415,337  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,388  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,391 Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,467  HK Standard Engraving
> 2,415,483  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,565  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,570  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,615  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,617  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,619  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,628  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,688  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,729  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,852  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,868  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,880  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,893  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,415,922  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,946  Europe
> 2,415,974  US Standard Engraving
> 2,415,988  Asia Standard Engraving
> 
> There is no evidence of cameras with S/N between 2,416,000 and 2,422,999.
> 
> 2,423,016  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,034  Australia Standard Engraving
> 2,423,040  US
> 
> 2,423,068  Europe engraved LEICA CAMERA only
> 
> 2,423,084  US  Engraving on back says: ?LEICA CAMERA GMBH? 
>                             underneath  this, ?Made in GERMANY?
> 
> 2,423,097   US Engraving same as # 2,423,084
> 
> 2,423,108  Europe (?)  Standard Engraving
> 2,423,195  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,423,200  US (?)  Standard Engraving
> 2,423,207  US Standard Engraving
> 2.423.237  Europe  Standard Engraving
> 2,423,247  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,248  Europe
> 2,423,249  Europe, Standard Engraving.
> 2,423,255  Canada Standard Engraving
> 2,423,271  Europe  Standard Engraving
> 2,423,307  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,308  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,327  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,335  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,346  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,373  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,378  US  Standard Engraving
> 2,423,398  Canada Standard Engraving
> 2,423,399  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,408  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423.423  US
> 2,423,425  US Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,423,476  Hong Kong Engraving on back says: ?LEICA CAMERA GMBH? 
>                                   underneath  this, ?Made in GERMANY?
> Same as # 2,423,084
> 
> 2,423,519  Hong Kong Engraving on back says: ?LEICA CAMERA GMBH? 
>                                   underneath  this, ?Made in GERMANY?
> Same as # 2,423,084
> 
> 2,423,533  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,423,564  US(?) Standard Engraving
> 2,423,566  US(?) Standard Engraving
> 2,423,574  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,423,582  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,592  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,423,609  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,616  Asia Standard Engraving
> 2,423,661  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,664  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,680  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,733  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,775  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,801  US Standard Engraving
> 2,423,975  US Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,424,024 US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,092 Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,424,148  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,176  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,275  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,331  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,471  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,475 
> 2,424,512  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,376  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,500  Europe  Standard Engraving 
> 2,424,647  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,633  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,665  US
> 2,424,673  US(?) Standard Engraving
> 2,424,702  US Standard Engraving
> 2,424,773  Asia Standard Engraving
> 2,424,785  Europe
> 2,424,927  US Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,425,000  US Standard Engraving
> 
> There is no evidence of cameras with S/N between 2,425,000 and 2,431,000
> 
> 2,431,315  US Standard Engraving
> 2,431,657  US Standard Engraving
> 2,431,765  US Standard Engraving
> 2,431,816  US Standard Engraving
> 2,431,829  US Standard Engraving
> 2,431,875  HK Standard Engraving
> 2,431,948  Europe Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,432,008  US (?) Standard Engraving
> 2,432,091   Asia  Standard Engraving 
> 2,432,109  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,432,406  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,432,454  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,432,500 US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,509  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,654 US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,691  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,692 US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,714  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,733  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,819  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,878  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,899  US Standard Engraving
> 2,432,907  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,432,986  US (?) Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,433,062  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,433,067  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,094 US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,108  US
> 2,433,124  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,145  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,148  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,155  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,163  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,221  HK Standard Engraving
> 2,433,222  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,231  US
> 2,433,243  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,253  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,265  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,433,302  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,303  US
> 2,433,325  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,389  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,433,410  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,437  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,470  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,480  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,535  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,433,566  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,433,586  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,620  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,633  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,650  UK Standard Engraving
> 2,433,654  US Standard Engraving
> 2,433,669  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,433,675  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,795  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,433,798  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 
> There is no evidence of cameras with S/N between 2,434,000 and 2,456,000
> 
> 2,456,023  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 2,456,225  Europe .... Reported Stolen in Netherlands
> 
> There is no evidence of cameras with S/N between 2,456,300 and 2,463,000
> 
> These were sold in late 1998.  
> 2,463,390  US Standard Engraving
> 2,463,890  Asia Standard Engraving
> 2.463,906  US
> 2,463,909  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,463,935  US Standard Engraving
> 2,463,940  US Standard Engraving
> 2,463,944  US Standard Engraving
> 2,463,962  US Standard Engraving
> 2,463,981  US Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,464,003  US Standard Engraving
> 2,464,011  US Standard Engraving
> 2,464,026  US Standard Engraving
> 2,464,030  US Standard Engraving
> 2,464,039  Europe Standard Engraving
> 2,464,040  US (?) Standard Engraving
> 2,464,077  US Standard Engraving
> 2,464,090  US Standard Engraving
> 
> 2,470,159 Europe
> 
> 2,593,063 Canada Standard Engraving ( Is this a TTL?)
> 
> If you see your camera listed with an incorrect S/N .... like I bungled a
> few digits..... please email me
> If you have a camera or see a camera with a serial nuumber not listed
> here, please email me.  I am very happy to receive more, new data.
> Note: Capitalization is as printed on the camera
> 
> A copy of these numbers is archived at Stephen Gandy?s site: 
> http://www.cameraquest.com/   
> 
> 
> Conclusions ( My opinion ):
> Leica produces cameras in production batches ( maybe I should say they
> produce serial numbers in batches).  You may find this expected, but it
> was a good for me to get some hard data on the issue.  I do not expect to
> find random S/N.  
> There were pre-production units that went to Canada and Asia.   Maybe
> elsewhere.  S/N were random.  Theses are most likely modified M6 .72
> classic bodies.
> 
> They substituted older style covers marked with the Leica Camera GMBH
> engraving in 2 runs.  These are exceedingly rare units..
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Leica has told me that there were a total of 3130 camera made.  I have the
> documented serial numbers from what looks to me like a total of over 6,000
> cameras.  My thinking is as follows...
> 
> Some prototypes with "random" S/N
> 2,414,399 to 2,414,999... At least 600 
> 2,415,000 to 2,415,999  1000
> 2,423,000 to 2,425,000  2000
> 2,431,000 to 2,431,999  At least 300, possibly more.   S/N are not too
> detailed    in this area.
> 2,432,000 to 2,433,999  2000
> 2,463,800 to 2,464,100  300
> 
> I can not state for certain that Leica told us the correct number, nor can
> I at all somehow verify my theories.  I can only report the data and my
> conclusions.  
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> The last recorded number that is available to me is 2,470,159.  It is
> claimed to be from the last production run.
> 
> There are a few cameras out there that were user modified .72 into .85
> cameras.  I have been told be several users that their cameras were so
> modified.  As I can, I have identified those cameras in this list.  There
> will doubtless be more cameras modified in the future.  Without the
> warranty card, it is almost imposible to tell the difference, for the
> average layman.
> 
> I will continue to keep this list and modify the assumptions made about
> the total production run.
> 
> Thank You.
> May the Light be with you.
> Long Live Leica M Cameras!
> 
> Frank Filippone
> red735I@earthlink.net