Serial Numbers - Variations in 8x11

Genealogy taken from "Spy Camera - the Minox Story, 2nd Edition" by Moses and Wade and "Minox Variations in 8x11" by Hubert Heckmann with amendments and additions from the experience and collections of D. Scott Young, Marty Doctor, Arndt Kizina, Martin Tai and Gerald McMullon

Model Production Year starting with ending with  Comments
Riga - Ur 1 36     Minostigmat 1:3.5/12.5mm, no yellow filter prototype. Original prototype, still owned by Walter Zapp’s but now at Minox on display. 6.5x9mm negative.
Riga 17460 38 01001   stainless steel, Minostigmat 1:3.5/15mm engraved 'Made in Latvia' & Pat.app., yellow filter (Minox gives starting at 00001) marked VEF RIGA LATVIA. Cameras made during the first months of production had the logo "VEF Riga" near the centre of the film chamber cover. From about 1023 until about 3035 the film take up spool is twelve toothed but 2627 is three tooth. Two screws visible on the inside of the camera.
    39-40 05051 08300 Serial Numbers include No until about 10600. From about 6000 the engraving Minoxtigmat was done diagonally.
      41-42 10101  14400 Minostigmat 1:3.5/15mm, 'Made in USSR' , yellow filter - during the Soviet occupation. Early cameras of this period had the 'Made in Latvia' milled away and "Made in USSR" engraved in it's place and the word "Riga" is made illegible by horizontal and or vertical lines. Cameras made later, during the occupation, have no 'Riga' present and are engraved "Made in USSR'. 
      42-43   16950 Engraving from the German occupation the 'Made in USSR' was milled away and replaced with 'Made in Latvia' and the word 'Riga' added. Minox give 17500 as the last number Marked with a swastika made during WWII Nazi occupation. One screw visible on the inside of the camera from about 12000 to 18000. 
    43-44   18460  
    44-45 ? ? Second Russian Occupation and more re-engravings as in the 1940-41 period.
    recent 16000 22000 Some post war assembly from parts taken from Latvia. Some late serial numbers have no engraving on the film chamber cover. Possibly made from spare parts.
II 17261   20084, 20106   Earliest, part of 'Marty' Doctor's collection, 20084. Production started in the West and sold as Model "A" in Europe following the introduction of the Minox B in 1958. Aluminium body shell, Pentar film plane lens; some models with access port in lens block, some converted later to Complan lens, rare models with original black shutter blades
    48 20001 20175  
    49   25642  
    50   31274  
III 28225 51 31275 39414 Improved Complan lens; silver shutter blades; Minox hand held exposure meter designed by Gossen introduced with this model; last model completely designed by Walter Zapp before departing from the company
    52 39415 49895  
    53 49896 59499  
    54 58500 59499 #59481 is AIII
III-s 87994 54 59500 70292 Flash synchronized shutter and PC synch contact; introduced production black finish as well as standard silver/chrome colour. 
    55   86588 Somewhere between 63713 and 85387 the red dot hyper focal point was introduced (part of Martin Tai's collection).
    56   111207  
    57   136741  
    58   140766 Changed to neutral density and green filters about #140000
    59   140853  
    60   141483  
    61   141843  
    62   145774  
    63-69   147494  
B 384328 58 600001 622397 Built in Gossen designed selenium cell match needle metering system. black/gold, engraved Wetzlar, 'Lattice grid' light meter window
    59   661617  
    60   701762  
    61   735254  
    62   766622 black/chrome without engraving Wetzlar, gold plated Complan, without engraving Wetzlar
    63   805699  
    64   837956  
    65   861499  
    65 861500 867929  
    66   901404 869377 has lattice grid cell, honeycomb or louvre light meter window introduced, 870305 has honeycomb
    67   936194 Complan, Honeycomb light meter without engraving Wetzlar
    68   972874  
    69   979561  
    70-72   984328 chrome/black/gold honeycomb, marked Minox lens. Seen with 980832 chrome, but 983169 black is complan lens, 983532 is black with a Minox lens. Not all Bs marked Minox lens have the flat Minox lens so only from about 983500 are true Minox lens cameras given perhaps only the last 800 made.
C 173594 69 2300101 2322178 automatic exposure control added and a CdS exposure meter. Distinctive from its length and having three control dials on the top (focus, shutter, and film speed). Black, Complan bright small lamp bulge, 7 seconds auto, without UV filter over cell (e.g. 2300265, 2301093, 2301593), raised rim around exposure counter, about 1500 {2300101-2301600} made like this.
    70   2364449 black/chrome Minox lens (somewhere around 2326805±), bright small lamp bulge, 7 seconds auto, without UV filter over cell, raised rim around exposure counter
    71   2403703 black/chrome Minox lens, bright small lamp bulge, 7 seconds auto, with UV filter (from at least 2356605 mid 70s?), raised rim around exposure counter
    72   2424403 from 71 (after 2365100 and before 2375530), black/chrome with Minox lens, bright small lamp bulge, 10 seconds auto, with UV filter, no raised rim around exposure counter
    73   2445732 black/chrome, Minox lens, red light emitting diode (after 2423445 and from at least 2429068), no raised rim, with UV filter, 10 seconds auto
    74   2458061  
    75-76   2469964  
    76-78   2473694  
BL 17880 72-73 1200001 1217880 semi-automatic exposure meter. All are engraved BL, Among the rarest 8x11 cameras; fully mechanical with Gossen built match needle CdS exposure meter, battery only powers meter, not shutter.
LX 37527 78 2500001 2501380 "Luxury" edition. Fully automatic, coupled SBC exposure meter, electronic shutter, 1/4" tripod screw socket, redesigned control dials and shutter release, 1/2000th – 16 seconds
    79   2511354  
    80   2520106  
    81   2520524  
    82   2520966  
    83   2522465  
    84   2523944  
    85   2525721  
    86   2527446  
    87   2528314  
    88   2530505  
    89   2532577  
    90   2534187  
    91   2534787  
    92   2535361  
    93   2536199  
    94   2537003  
    95   2537527  
TLX  >4450 95 2600001  2600294 Titanium finish with MINOX logo stamped on the front, Titanium formulation covering, replacement for silver and black LX models; introduced at 50th year anniversary celebration; black trim
    96   2600551  
    97   2601200  
    98   2602320 2601349 purchased 2000/11
    99   2602583  
    2000   2603048  
    2001   2603450  
    2002   2603950  
    2003   2604450 2604369 purchased 2003/10.
2604466 purchased May 2006
    2004      
           
LX Gold Selection 999 87-88 001/999 999/999 engraved "Selection". gold on aluminium shell, smooth finish
LX Gold II 250 95 LX-I-001  LX-I-250  engraved "LX" . Gold formulation shell, waffled cross pattern on a brass shell, Walter Zapp signature model 50th year commemorative, wooden presentation case
LX Platinum 1000 90-91 Pt001 Pt1000 engraved "Platin"
LX Sterling >118 91 1-91 43-91 made on special order. Solid sterling silver special edition; packed in a sterling silver box with certificate, white gloves, card from Walter Zapp with contact prints from original Riga Minox, cased in wooden presentation box
    92 1-92 75-92  
    93 76 84  
    94 99 100  
    95-      
CLX   98- CLX 0001 CLX 0500  Chrome plated on a brass shell, chequered engraving pattern, 60 year commemorative edition; wooden box with NTSC (American) or PAL (European - English and German versions) video of Zapp narrating "The Minox is my Life". Later released in LX/TLX case without the video.
LX 2000   2000 001 300 Black LX with gold trim on a brass shell. Year 2000 commemorative, packed in wooden box with Mont Blanc pen (same number range as TLX, e.g. 2603576
Aviator Set 300 2001 1/300 300/300  Black with MINOX logo in white, serial number engraved xxx/300 on the back with original Minox logo, dials have weak luminous numbers on a black base with Titanium edges. Set includes a Laco 25 jewels watch with luminous dial.
100th Anniversary LX   2005     An LX miniature camera with a high-gloss chrome finish including a special medal minted from fine silver. Along with the portrait of Walter Zapp and his anniversary dates (04.09.1905-04.09.2005), the coin also refers to the 60th anniversary of MINOX as a company. Built to order.
EC >154100 81 2700001 2729149 Smallest and lightest Minox made by Minox. Square exposure meter, closed lens window grey. Plastic body shell separates completely from body for film loading; smallest, lightest Minox made; fixed F/5.6 lens, fixed focus, fully coupled automatic exposure control from 1/500th to 10 seconds, match box style electronic flash unit; rare brown body and white body types and other colours rumoured but deigned by Minox (so all are post sales modifications by private collectors) ; rare "Goldknopf" edition advertised in France.
    82   2761260 circular exposure meter, closed lens window grey (e.g.2739503)
    83   2767452  
    84   2782353  
    85   2795462  
    86   2806479  
    87   2816840  
    88   2826129 circular exposure meter, closed lens window black
    89   2834068  
    90   2839674  
    91   2844517  
    92   2845733  
    93   2846997  
    94   2848061  
    95   2854100
EC - MHS 100 2002 1/100 2853259
100/100		 Minox Historical Society Special Edition, #1/100 held by Minox. 
53/100 (2850787), 100/100 (2853259) includes Walter Zapp video, wooden box with MHS logo, counter mat,  wrist strap, special Minox embossed black leatherette case, original presentation box in a silver box with no internal packing.
  >154100 2003   2854070 Limited number of camera supplied with ECX type coat button straps, power pack and 15 exposure film with a silver wrapper around the plastic cam shell box. EC Exclusive sets as EC but including 8x11 electronic flash
EC-Minox Club   2003/ Dec 1 111 Minox Club Special Edition, EC in riga blue with Minox club logo and a signature of Walter Zapp on the bases, includes wooden box, counter mat,  wrist strap, special Minox embossed black leatherette case, original presentation box in a silver box with no internal packing. e.g. 60/2853941
AX 500 92-93 AX001 AX500 Stripped down LX - no meter; a BL without a meter in LX style or a modern A/IIIs in cut down LX body shell. Limited edition stamped AX. LX type tripod socket, controls and shutter release button
AX Gold 250 92-93 I-001 I-250  limited edition stamped AX, Gold formulation special edition
AX Gold II 250 94-95 II-001 II-250 limited edition engraved AX, Gold formulation special edition 50 year anniversary commemorative, Walter Zapp signature model, glove leather case, wooden presentation case
AX Black 222 97-98 S-001 S-222 limited edition of 222 engraved AX with matt black finish
ECX >6000? 98- 2900000  - 2900400 Updated EC; silver circular bezel around lens opening, silver colour shutter release button, new style electronic flash unit (large cylinder holding the lithium battery and bulb)  to
    99   2900800  
    2000   2901300  
    2001   2901900 eg.2901737 2000/12
    2002   2902400  
    2003   2902950 2905991 2003/11
    2004   2905991  
MX  >14500? 98  2200001  2202500 Designed and made in Japan by Acmel (a version of the MD), repackaged under the Minox name; can not use other Minox 8x11 camera parts or accessories
    99   2211800 e.g. 2206246 sold 2000/12 and 2203762 sold 2004/02 old stock?
    2000   2212900 2212690 airline pack
    2001   2213700  
    2002   2214200  
    2003   2214500  
           

Classic Collection
Leica IIIf 1500  00-  fixed at No. 525001  Miniature replica of Leica IIIf; fixed focus, 1/250th and f5.6
Leica M3 1500  01- M3-E01xxx   Miniature replica of Leica M3; fixed focus, 1/250th and f5.6 (e.g. M3-E01689, 14254)
Leica IIIf black 1000  01- DM0xxx DM1xxx  Miniature replica of Leica IIIf;  fixed focus, 1/250th and f5.6. Limited edition of 1000  (e.g. DM0117, 1030)
Leica 1F 1000  01- IM0xxx   Miniature replica of Leica 1F; fixed focus, f1/250th and f5.6 (e.g. IM0209, 1062)
Contax I 500  02- KM0xxx KM1xxx  Miniature replica of Contax I; fixed focus, f1/250th and f5.6 (e.g. KM0802, 1072)
Hasselblad SW 500  02- No.N02xxx   Miniature replica of Hasselblad SW; fixed focus, f1/250th and f5.6 (No.N02027)
           

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Last Updated on 11th October 2005