What the factory lists record
Erwin Puts explains that the camera and lens lists were transcribed from original factory documents and represent serials allocated for planned future production. He explicitly distinguishes them from production and sales totals.
Four dates that can differ
- the date a serial block was allocated;
- the date an individual item was assembled;
- the date it was delivered to a dealer;
- the date it was first sold.
A table labeled only “year” can obscure these distinctions. Leica Lookup stores allocation and reported production fields separately.
Unused and reassigned numbers
Puts also warns that blocks were not always fully used and that remainders could be assigned to special series. An inclusive block size therefore describes numerical capacity, not confirmed output.
Editorial rule
The interface never calls an allocation date a verified manufacturing date. If a later source documents production or delivery separately, it belongs in its own field or exact-unit record with its own locator.