One question we’re often asked is “how old is my speaker?” And if your speaker is in reasonably good condition, then it is straightforward to find this out for yourself. Since 1956, all Celestion chassis drivers have been stamped with a date code (two numbers and two letters), denoting exact date of manufacture. The codes are added on the production line and are stamped on the speaker’s chassis leg, on the front gasket or for later speakers, printed onto an id label stuck onto the magnet’s edge.
If you can track down the date code, simply refer to the following set of tables, which provide an accurate record of the date codes used throughout the years.
1956 – 1962
Date codes from 1956 to 1962 are written in the form: Day/Month/Year. For example: 15DE = 15th April1960.
| Year | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | A | January | A |
| 1957 | B | February | B |
| 1958 | C | March | C |
| 1959 | D | April | D |
| 1960 | E | May | E |
| 1961 | F | June | F |
| 1962 | G | July | G |
| August | H | ||
| September | I | ||
| October | J | ||
| November | K | ||
| December | L |
Note loss of ‘I’ from the month codes. Date codes from 1963 to 1967 are written in the form: Day/Month/Year. E.g.: 19MK = 19th December 1965
| Year | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | H | January | A |
| 1964 | J | February | B |
| 1965 | K | March | C |
| 1966 | L | April | D |
| 1967 | M | May | E |
| June | F | ||
| July | G | ||
| August | H | ||
| September | J | ||
| October | K | ||
| November | L | ||
| December | M |
1968 – 1991
Date codes from 1968 to 1991 are written in the form: Month/Year/Day. For example: KH7 = 7th October 1975
| Year | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | A | January | A |
| 1969 | B | February | B |
| 1970 | C | March | C |
| 1971 | D | April | D |
| 1972 | E | May | E |
| 1973 | F | June | F |
| 1974 | G | July | G |
| 1975 | H | August | H |
| 1976 | J | September | J |
| 1977 | K | October | K |
| 1978 | L | November | L |
| 1979 | M | December | M |
| 1980 | N | ||
| 1981 | P | ||
| 1982 | Q | ||
| 1983 | R | ||
| 1984 | S | ||
| 1985 | T | ||
| 1986 | U | ||
| 1987 | V | ||
| 1988 | W | ||
| 1989 | X | ||
| 1990 | Y | ||
| 1991 | Z |
1992 – 2014
Date codes from 1992 to 2014 are written in the form: Day/Month/Year. For example: 29EJ = 29th May 1999
| Year | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | B | January | A |
| 1993 | C | February | B |
| 1994 | D | March | C |
| 1995 | E | April | D |
| 1996 | F | May | E |
| 1997 | G | June | F |
| 1998 | H | July | G |
| 1999 | J | August | H |
| 2000 | K | September | J |
| 2001 | L | October | K |
| 2002 | M | November | L |
| 2003 | N | December | M |
| 2004 | P | ||
| 2005 | Q | ||
| 2006 | R | ||
| 2007 | S | ||
| 2008 | T | ||
| 2009 | U | ||
| 2010 | V | ||
| 2011 | W | ||
| 2012 | X | ||
| 2013 | Y | ||
| 2014 | Z |
2015 onwards
Date codes from 2015 are written in the form: Month/Year/Day. E.g.: JA21 = 21st September 2015
| Year | Code | Month | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | A | January | A |
| 2016 | B | February | B |
| 2017 | C | March | C |
| 2018 | D | April | D |
| 2019 | E | May | E |
| 2020 | F | June | F |
| 2021 | G | July | G |
| 2022 | TBC | August | H |
| 2023 | TBC | September | J |
| 2024 | TBC | October | K |
| 2025 | TBC | November | L |
| 2026 | TBC | December | M |