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Technical: Serial Number Fonts
Scott Lange with help from Dave Hennessey

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Serial Number Fonts

The fonts used for serial numbers varied over time. In general, they were sans-serif fonts (the characters do not have the small projecting features called "serifs" at the end of strokes), except the ‘1’, which does have them.   From 1952 to 1962, the characters stayed pretty much the same.

Sixes and Nines

Others

We need to collect more photos of serial numbers to see exactly when each characters changed.

Note the ‘1’ is missing the serif on its "foot", and the ‘K’ is slightly different
The ‘R’ has a serif on bottom right, but you can't see it on this example.


The ‘A’ is always leaning left.
Look at that fat ‘H’.   Seems suspect...


The ‘7’ has a serif on the front.
Leaning straight-backed ‘6’.  Note the two different ‘3’'s.
The ‘6’ and ‘9’ have straight "backs"  Note the serif at the rear of the ‘2’.  The ‘4’ is "closed" at the top.
The ‘7’ has a serif at the top left.
The ‘6’ and ‘9’ now have oval bodies instead of round.