Decode Your SEGA Serial Number!

Most people don't understand the serial number(s) printed on their sega console(s). Hopefully, this information will change that:

Reading the serial # from left to right:

• The first thing identified is the factory at which the console was assembled. It is represented by one number, one letter, or two letters.
  
• The next thing denoted is the year that the console was assembled. This is represented by the last digit of the manufacturing year (EX: "3" = 1993, "4" = 1994, etc...).
  
• Following the year indicator is the production run indicator, which is represented by one letter or one number.
  
• The last thing identified is the number of units produced during the production run up to the one in your possession. A single production run could consist of no more than 999,999 units.

Using the information above, here's a complete example:

One of my model 1601 consoles has the serial number "31V86978". This means that it was manufactured at factory 3 (of Taiwan) in 1991 during production run V and it was the 86,978th model 1601 console produced during that production run.

How did you get hold of this information?

my serial number: 730028287

how do you decode that then?

same here.My number is B10416792

He said production number couldn't go over 999,999 so what is the zero in the middle then: 730028287

That 0 is the production run.

My old model 2 has a serial number of A002046. That means country A, year 1990, production run 0, ID 2046... WTF I'm short of digits. Also I don't think models 2 existed in 1990, did they?

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Originally Posted by Sik

That 0 is the production run.

My old model 2 has a serial number of A002046. That means country A, year 1990, production run 0, ID 2046... WTF I'm short of digits. Also I don't think models 2 existed in 1990, did they?

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No. I think Sega first released the MKII in late-1992, but I could be wrong. It wasn't released as early as 1990...

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Originally Posted by Blammo

How did you get hold of this information?

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Through personal research. I started by examining my own consoles before digging through serial numbers to consoles from all over the internet.

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Originally Posted by Tom M.

my serial number: 730028287

how do you decode that then?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by kokujin

same here.My number is B10416792

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tom M.

He said production number couldn't go over 999,999 so what is the zero in the middle then: 730028287

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sik

That 0 is the production run.

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Correct!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sik

My old model 2 has a serial number of A002046. That means country A, year 1990, production run 0, ID 2046... WTF I'm short of digits. Also I don't think models 2 existed in 1990, did they?

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The year indicator is completely missing. Either it broke off of the stamp during production or it wasn't equipped. You'll need to open up the unit in order to find out the year of production.

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Originally Posted by The Jackal

No. I think Sega first released the MKII in late-1992, but I could be wrong. It wasn't released as early as 1990...

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MD/G model 2s were manufactured from 1993 to 1998.

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Originally Posted by chessage

Through personal research. I started by examining my own consoles before digging through serial numbers to consoles from all over the internet.

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So, is this your own theory, or is there any other info source to back this up? :wtf: ......


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I don't know if it'll be of any use to you, but I could post the serials and characteristics of about ~30 Genesis

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Originally Posted by ooXxXoo

So, is this your own theory, or is there any other info source to back this up? :wtf: ......

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First of all, you can personally prove the assembly year indicator by checking it against the date codes on your systems' ICs & unit casing. Keep in mind that systems assembled at the beginning of one year had to use parts made at the end of the previous year.

Factory indicators are quite consistent. For example, serials that begin with "1" will always have "Made in China" written on the label as well. I have two Genesis consoles made at this factory (one from '93 and one from '96) and both have at least one Rubycon capacitor, glossed identification labels, and a closed-top pin connector. That's fairly consistent for being three years apart. Not only that, by the time Sega started making the Dreamcast the factory identifier was moved from the serial number to just above the country text (EX: "WK Made in China"). If a customer sent in a defective unit that was under warranty, Sega would know exactly which factory was the source of the problem because of the factory indicator on the console.

The production run indicator/unit counter could be proven wrong, but so far, "rare" consoles have had low counter numbers, while "common" consoles have had higher counter numbers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jax184

I don't know if it'll be of any use to you, but I could post the serials and characteristics of about ~30 Genesis

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I'd much appreciate that! Please be sure to include the model numbers as well...

**Bump**

According to this information, my Genny was produced in 1989, in Taiwan, during production run T, and was the 69,781st console of its run.

39T69781

Cool.

Chris

30T12853

1990 Taiwan #12853

The 3 would be factory 3 right?

Mine is
30T53434

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Originally Posted by Jibbajaba

39T69781

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Originally Posted by Deo

30T12853

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Originally Posted by evildragon

30T53434

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Looks like the unit counter reset with the changing year. I wouldn't be surprised if the motherboards in these units are all the same...

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Originally Posted by Deo

The 3 would be factory 3 right?

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Yes.

**Bump**

My VA2 Genesis 1 was made in Taiwan in 1989 and bears the following serial number:

39U43057

Factory:3 (Taiwan)
Year:9 (1989)
U (Production run:U)
43057th console of said run.

This makes me wonder if production run letters were used in backwards instead of forthwards, because my VA2 was made in the 32nd week of 1989 (August 16-24).

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Originally Posted by villahed94

This makes me wonder if production run letters were used in backwards instead of forthwards, because my VA2 was made in the 32nd week of 1989 (August 16-24).

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No, or else the unit used in my example would've predated yours.

im trying to decode mine but im a bit baffled by it.
it's a 1601-15 model with Ao 011023.
Thank's in advance

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Originally Posted by Adebisi

im trying to decode mine but im a bit baffled by it.
it's a 1601-15 model with Ao 011023.
Thank's in advance

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What's so baffling? It's a 1990 Asian Mega Drive. Are you sure that the second digit is not a zero?

I have a model 1 HDG, serial number 110005362, what does that mean exactly.

Try these:
AC79500485 (hst-3220 white saturn)
16907900 (RG-JX1 JVC V-saturn from 1994)

They were making v saturns in 1994?

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Originally Posted by AlecRob

They were making v saturns in 1994?

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Of course they did. The Saturn premiered in 1994 in japan.

I have a model 1 HDG (non-TMSS)

serial no. 020753779

how do I decode this one?

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Originally Posted by robotscandance

I have a model 1 HDG (non-TMSS)

serial no. 020753779

how do I decode this one?

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It's a later MD1 as far as I can see.
The decoded serial would be like this:

O= Production run
2= 1992
0753779= Unit number no. that production run (753779th unit of production run O)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by villahed94

It's a later MD1 as far as I can see.
The decoded serial would be like this:

O= Production run
2= 1992
0753779= Unit number no. that production run (753779th unit of production run O)

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It's manufacturing code 0 (for "EF", should be made in Taiwan), year 1992, revision 0, and #753779 of that production run.

Note that the Megadrive 1 does not rigidly follow the revision numbers. It starts from M and goes through all letters, and then stops at 0 (zero) and uses that for all subsequent revisions from at least VA4 up to VA6.

Other sega hardware follows the revision number field properly, they start from 0 for VA0 units, use 1 for VA1, and so on.

Not sure if this is already known or not, but for Victor/JVC (Wondermega, X'Eye, V-Saturn) consoles the first two numbers denote the month of manufacture;

06 January
07 February
08 March
09 April
10 May
11 June
12 July
13 August
14 September
15 October
16 November
17 December

I don't know why they run 06-17 instead of 01-12. The third number denotes the year of manufacture;

4 1989 (Shōwa 64)
5 1990
6 1991
7 1992
8 1993
9 1994
0 1995
1 1996
2 1997
3 1998

This was probably determined by the last digit of the Japanese year from the Shōwa period. Technically that ended in 1989, but they probably didn't see any need to change it. U.S. X'Eye consoles start with an additional letter H. As Japanese consoles lack this it may just denote an export or US serial.

The last five digits don't reset at the start of each month, they just reset after they hit 99,999. I guess they never manufactured more than 100,000 units of a model in a month.

I tripped over this thread sometime ago and tried to find it after I joined Sega-16 but couldn't find it. BKK thank you for bringing this up front with your new post.

md2 pal:

161285859

it was the 2nd md2 i buyed close to psx time, only 50.000 italian lire from games store, new. so i think is a 1996 year production from the serial?

These are the models determined by the third digit used from late 1988 to early 1991 (some factories started using the newer format in 1990). Missing ones were probably reserved but never needed. A few may exist but haven't been seen yet.

1 US Master System Hang On/Safari Hunt
2 US Master System Hang On/Safari Hunt
3 US Master System Hang On/Safari Hunt
4
5 US Master System Hang On
6
7
8 JP Master System
9
A US Master System Missile Defense 3-D
B
C
D
E
F
G PAL Master System Hang On
H PAL Master System Hang On
I PAL Master System Hang On/Safari Hunt
J PAL Master System Hang On/Safari Hunt
K PAL Master System Missile Defense 3-D
L
M JP Mega Drive
N JP Mega Drive
O JP Mega Drive
P JP Mega Drive
Q JP Mega Drive
R JP Mega Drive
S US Genesis
T US Genesis
U US Genesis
V US Genesis
W US Genesis
X US Genesis
Y US Master System
Z
a PAL Master System Alex Kidd in Miracle World
b PAL Master System Alex Kidd in Miracle World
c PAL Master System Hang On/Safari Hunt
d
e PAL Mega Drive
f PAL Mega Drive
g
h PAL Master System Alex Kidd in Miracle World
i PAL Master System Alex Kidd in Miracle World