Dating a new epiphone

[MediaMan]

Sorry if this has been asked a thousand times, but for new epiphone lucilles in a guitar shop, how you tell the date of manufacture from the serial number.

[MediaMan]

YY MM FF 1234(5)

 

YY = year

MM = month

FF = factory-code

12345 = production#

 

 

Many thanks. I goggled further based on the above and found the following info and factory codes at following at this site

 

YY-MM-FF-PPPP

Sometime in 2008, Epiphone switched to a new system that eliminates the letter prefixes from the serial number. Under this new system, the first two numbers are the last two numbers of the year and the next two are the factory number. The factory number codes under this new system are as follows:

 

12 = DeaWon or Unsung (China, uncertainty remains as to which factory)

15 = Qingdao (China, electric)

16 = Qingdao (China, acoustic)

17 = Unknown (China)

20 = DaeWon or Unsung (China, uncertainty remains as to which factory)

21 = Unsung (Korea)

22 = Unknown (Korea)

23 = Unknown (Indonesia)

I = Indonesia (has appeared as the 5th digit on two authentic new models made in Indonesia)