Canon

The following dates of first manufacture are based on advertising and other documentary evidence:

Office (Professional) Typewriters

• 1981 AP 400, 500
• 1983 AP 200, 300, 350
• 1984 AP 200X, 550
• 1985 AP 200 II, 410, 500 II, 510, 515, 560
• 1986 AP 210, 310, 330, 340, 350 II,  360, 390, 300 II, 400 II, 550 II
• 1987 AP 110, 160, 170, 600, 610, 700, 740, 780, 800, 810, 830, 850
• 1988 AP 110 II, 800 III, 810 III, 830 II,  850 II
• 1990-1992 AP 250, 260, 380, 390, 3500, 3510, 7500
• 1992-1993 AP 380, 390, 6000, 6100. 6110, 6300, 7010, 7500, 8000, 8100, 8500,
• 1997 5015, 9017, 9417 (Nakajima)

Compact (Semi-professional) Typewriters

• 1985 AP 100, 150
• 1985 S-66, S-66-MX, S-55 *
• 1986 S-68/58, Type Ace II *
• 1987 S-200, 250, 300, 350, MX-200, 250, 300, 350 *
• 1991 AP 1000, 1500
• 1992 MX-260, 360

* (NOTE: S-66, S-66-MX, S-55, S-68/58, Type Ace II, S-200, 250, 300, 350, MX-200, 250, 300, 350 etc. could arguably be listed as “portable” but since they’re larger than the portables listed below I bumped them up to the compact category.)

Portable (Personal) Typewriters

• 1986 S-14, 15, 16 (so-called “mini wedges”)
• 1989 (Korea): ES 5, 10, 15,
• 1990 (Korea): ES 23, 25
• 1990 (Mexico) ES 3, 3 II, 5, 10, 13, 15, 16, 20, 23, 23 II, 25, 30, 33, 43,
• 1992 (Mexico) MX-70, 80, XS 30
• 1995-1998 QS-50, 100, 110, 200, 210, 300, 310, 700

Serial number analysis:

Canon serial number do not appear to be date-coded. The following models are “Made in Japan” unless specified otherwise.

Office (Professional) Typewriters

Expected year 1981-82:

• AP 400 #81111359

Expected year 1983-84:

• AP 200 #A7112638

Expected year 1985:

• AP 500-II #C32016191

Expected year 1986:

• AP 210 #S21118037
• AP 340 #CA2 034066 (Costa Mesa California USA)

Expected year 1987:

• AP 110 #S31211611
• AP 160 #S31110252
• AP 800 #S11123037
• AP 830-III #HA2 057695 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 830 #Y33012316 (Bretagne France)

Expected year 1990-1992:

• AP 250 #S22012785 (Japan Yahoo listing)

Expected year 1992-1993:

• AP 6000 #T214 12954 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 6110 #FA1 110187 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 6110 #FA1 110250 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 6110 #FA3 211224 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 7010 #CA11 12508 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 8010 #S12045698
• AP 8100 #HA46 10867 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 8300 #U33220094 (Bretagne France)
• AP 8500 #U33010516 (Bretagne France)

AP 9417 Canon USA – Nakajima No. 9706 (DateCode)

AP 5015 Canon USA – Nakajima No. 9710 (DateCode)

Compact (Semi-professional) Typewriters

Expected year 1985:

• AP 150 #B21112866
• AP 150 #Z23014265 (Bretagne France)

Expected year 1986:

• S-58 #D51026867 (Japan)
• S-68S #D72030251 (Japan)
• S-68S #D72056010 (Assembled in Korea from Japanese and Korean parts)
• S-68S #D72050773 (Assembled in Korea from Japanese and Korean parts_
• Type Ace II (S-68) #L6010764 (Japanese Listing)
• Type Ace II (S-68) #L61012379 (Japanese Listing)

Expected year 1987-88:

• S 200 #Y13218603 (Bretagne France)
• S 300 #Y23025433 (Bretagne France)
• S 300 #D61143344 (Made in Korea)
• MX 250 #D81214630 (Made in Korea)
• MX 250 #D81122685 (Made in Korea)
• MX 350 #D91110253 (Made in Korea)
• MX 350 #D91111925 (Made in Korea)

Expected year 1991-1992:

• AP 1000 #T31311576
• AP 1000 #W113 11172 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 1500 #AA14 11180 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• AP 1500 #AA30 19375 (Costa Mesa California USA)

Hard to find compact, possibly circa 1993:

• AP 3500 #BB32 11262 (Costa Mesa California USA)

Portable (Personal) Typewriters

Expected year 1986:

• S-16 #H21210590 (on box)

Expected year 1989-90:

• ES 5 #P81212500 (Made in Korea)
• ES 5 #P81124748 (Made in Korea)
• ES 5 #P83023546 (Made in Korea)
• ES 5 #P83212700 (Made in Korea)
• ES 10 #P51114041 (Made in Korea)
• ES 25 #P73213540 (Made in Korea)
• ES 25 #P71114431 (Made in Korea)
• Type Ace ST #X510286 (AKA ES 25 Made in Korea)

Expected year 1990-92:

• MX 70 #KC1 117762 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 3-II #KC3 811325 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 23 #KA3 015812 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 23 #KA3 018782 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 13 #KB2 020576 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 3 #W211 20597 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 3 #W2220 142437 (Assembled in Mexico)
• ES 33-II #KE2 027971 (Assembled in Mexico)

Expected year 1992:

• MX 360 #LB30 11368 (Costa Mesa California USA)
• MX 360 #LB30 11467 (Costa Mesa California USA)

Expected year 1995-1998:

• QS 50 #KH3 067707 (Made in Taiwan)
• QS 50 #KH3 074377 (Made in Taiwan)
• QS 100 #KH1 132903 (Made in Taiwan)
• QS 300 #KL1 113131 (Made in Taiwan)
• QS 200 #KHI 3211416 (Made in Taiwan)
• QS 200 #KHI 9015187 (Made in Taiwan)

Expected year 1995-1998:

• MX 100 #KH1 152502 (Made in Taiwan, the later QS style)