Earliest 12C Serial Number

[mark3030]

I've been trying to do as much research on my own before I came here but there isn't much to find.

I may have one of the oldest if not the oldest fully functioning 12C in circulation. Short background. Dad was in finance first with American Airlines then B of A. This was back in mid 70's in San Francisco of all places. So numbers has been a major part of his life and that means I grew up with HP calculators. So my dad just gave me his 12C. He's fairly old so its one of those things. I used this site to figure out how to read the serial number and I knew this calc was old but not this old.

The serial number is 2031A01509. That means 1980, 31st week, America, #1509. Don't know what number they started on. But all things assumed, the 2013 date is the earliest anyone has found and most likely is the very first week they began production. And of course it was made in America. And at worst it was the 1509th HP 12C ever made. If they started the number at 1000 it would be the 509th ever made. I don't know how many were made that year but 1509 out of milllions and millions makes it pretty old. And the real question is, how many of the 1508 before it still exist and work 100%. Can't be that many. Oh yeah, I also have the original leather case.

That begs two questions. Do I have in my possession the oldest fully functioning HP 12C with original leather case ever made? And second, does it mean anything? Big deal or not, worth $1 million or $1 its still pretty cool that it might be true.

Leave your thoughts

   
   

[Dieter]

(04-28-2016 07:12 PM)mark3030 Wrote:  If they started the number at 1000 it would be the 509th ever made.

The 510th. ;-)

(04-28-2016 07:12 PM)mark3030 Wrote:  That begs two questions. Do I have in my possession the oldest fully functioning HP 12C with original leather case ever made? And second, does it mean anything?

Everything has a meaning, and regarding early HP serial numbers you might want to take a look at this table on this very site.
So your 12C indeed should be one of the very first.

Dieter

[mark3030]

Yes I saw that table and I'm assuming that 2031 is when they began production and that the 12C I have is from the very first production run. The question is do I have the lowest serial number in circulation that still works.

Don't know. Thanks for your response.

[Csaba Tizedes]

(04-28-2016 07:23 PM)Dieter Wrote:  early HP serial numbers you might want to take a look at this table on this very site.

Where can I found same information about 200LX and 95LX (or other palmtops)?
I have a Made in USA 95LX with ABA3107A00064 "PROTO UNIT NOT FOR SALE" and "57" marking on name engraving field.

Csaba

[Ron Ross]

You have a good probability, however these calculators are very, very durable ie out of the first 100 Hp 12c calculators sold, the 12c would land on an office desk (vs an Hp 11c might see the horrors of the real world). So the Hp 12c's would see a sheltered life and may have been show candy as well ie sits on desk with very little actual use. So of the first 100 Hp 12c's, 60% might still be working great and are being passed down to younger heirs, just like yours. Where the difference is, you recognized a quality tool, vs a lot of people might have just figured they got Dad's old $10 junk that he should have replaced years ago.

[mark3030]

Durable they are. I just gave my 12 year old daughter my 11C from when I was a kid. Most likely there is a lower serial number than mine and they don't even know what they have. I guess mostly I was wondering if anyone knew what the earliest verified serial number to date is.

Thanks for the post.