OTHER NUMBERS ON DENNIS CARDS
1) Dating Dennis cards printed between 1964 - 1992.
Besides the codes which were introduced in 1955 for the main series of cards (and the private issues of which more later), from 1964 cards also carried a 2 digit number at the top left of the reverse of the card until 1992. These numbers were also used on most private issue cards and indicate the date of printing (rather than the date of the picture or first publication).
No. Date/Season Identifying Symbol Earliest Introduction
45 1964 / 1965 Large Oval with 'Dennis Productions' in Relief
56 1965 / 1966
67 1966 / 1967
78 1967 / 1968 Smaller uncoloured oval with 'Dennis Productions' in Grey
89 1968 / 1969
90 1969 / 1970
01 1970 / 1971
12 1971 / 1972
23 1972 / 1973
34 1973 / 1974
45 1974 / 1975
56 1975 / 1976
67 1976 / 1977
78 1977 / 1978
89 1978 / 1979
90 1979 / 1980
01 1980 / 1981
12 1981 / 1982 Young Boy with Spade and 'A Dennis Postcard' inscription
23 1982 / 1983
34 1983 / 1984
45 1984 / 1985
56 1985 / 1985
67 1986 / 1987
78 1987 / 1988
89 1988 / 1989
90 1989 / 1990
91 1991
92 1992 Jumping Buck overprinted ' Dennis Print & Publishing'
The numbers are best regarded as representing issuing seasons. Looking at 67 (1966 / 1967), there will be few postally used cards postmarked 1966 but they do exist. More will be sold the following year but some retailers will carry over stock from one year to the next which sometimes causes a lag between the date of printing and the date of posting. With around 50% of cards not postally used, the postmark technique for dating cards is only useful sometimes.
The keen eyed will notice that some of these numbers were used up to three times and this does cause problems when trying to date cards issued between 78 (1967/8) and 12 (1981/2) where, despite some very minor variations with the smaller oval (such as overlapping corners sometimes used in the earlier years) there is little to determine whether a card displaying e.g. 01 is from 1970/1 or 1980/1. Images were often used for in excess of 10 years so unless a card is postally used, dating in this period must be done with caution or reference to other cards issued at the same time from the same area.
There are a very few instances where an image may change whilst using the same image number (e.g. L.0444 The Town Hall, Leeds). Usually in the few instances where an image is updated with the same image number there is a discrete change of dating number but at least one instance is know where the image was updated during an issuing season and hence has the same date code.
It is not know what determined the date for the change from one season number to the next but it may have been after the summer holidays when the bulk of that year's cards would have been distributed. For anyone wanting help dating a Dennis card from this period where the date is not certain from the above table, I am only too willing to help providing front and reverse images are provided. Contact.
2) Other numbering series on modern Dennis cards.
Most cards printed by Dennis in the modern era (1960's onwards) will be from the general series, the numbering of which has been described above but there are a number of other series which are worthy of mention. Sometimes these will be cards produced exclusively for a local distributor who has an established system of numbering into which the Dennis cards slot along with other suppliers or where specific numbers were allocated by Dennis. At other times the numbering is allocated in conjunction with the local agent but presumably under Dennis's auspices.
Some examples of these are:
Channel Islands
A = Alderney; G = Guernsey; H = Herm; J = Jersey & S = Sark. Examples are A.11; G.3c; H.3; J.102 & S.25. The Jersey cards were produced for Leader Sales whilst the others were for the Guernsey Press and later gp Publications.
Lake District
From the early 1970's cards were printed for H. Webster of Keswick of various Lakeland views. In subsequent years the issuing company became Gomis Ltd and finally Keswick Wholesalers Ltd. Numbers used were LKD.1 to LKD.405L (highest observed), with the 'L' suffix indicating a continental size card as in the general series.
By the late 1980's, the arrangement with Keswick Wholesalers appears to have ceased or reduced and many of the images were incorporated into the main Dennis series using the same image number but with prefix L.057. This means that LKD.363L became L.057363L. A few cards also carried numbers such as LKD.057431L though this was the exception.