Any way to date pics by code printed on pics by commercial est.s?

[imbny]

Hi,

Is there any way to figure out the date of a photo by decoding the code on the back of older printed pictures (pics taken w/i the last 15 years, mainly from costco and walgreens?)

For instance, I'm looking at a Costco developed pic, from, I'm guessing, about 14 years ago and the code printed on by Costco's machines reads as follows:

<No.13> 013 29+00 ANANN+09AU 0120

I've come across a stash of pics--not all are connected w/ specific envelopes or negatives--and I'm trying to at least figure out which years they're from.

If it's impossible, I understand, I was just being hopeful.

Thx!

 

[tirediron]

Why not call Costco and/or Walgreens and ask them?

 

[vintagesnaps]

The date usually would be on the envelope that the pictures were in (at least in my experience) . From anyplace I've gotten film developed, the code would tell me the number and which roll of film it was from but not a date.

Kodak paper would have a different logo from different years but I don't know about other brands. I'd found a chart of Kodak logos and the years used (although I can't remember where).

There might be clues in the pictures if there are any signs or storefronts or anything that has since changed. I'm not sure if you could narrow it down to a specific year, maybe which decade would be it! lol unless there are specific clues in the photos.

 

[Derrel]

<No.13> 013 29+00 ANANN+09AU 0120

Could 09AU be either 9th of August, or 2009, August?

 

[480sparky]

<No.13> 013 29+00 ANANN+09AU 0120

Could 09AU be either 9th of August, or 2009, August?

09AU would mean they were developed at the Costco that's 9 Astonomical Units away.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Or at a Costco in Australia.

I wondered that too Derrel, maybe the photos are more recent than the OP thought.

If nothing else, the code on the back should give an indication if any of the stray unorganized photos go with any of the sets of negatives or envelopes found.

 

[Dave442]

I don't think the 09 is the year. Probably the 00 is the year. Just looking at some photos I have from Eckerds and those came with a contact sheet that gives the mm/dd/yy info while the photos themselves have a code similar to the above, they are from 08/28/01 and before the string of letters is the 01. I also have an older set of photos developed somewhere else and these all have a 00 (for 2000) while it varies from 06AU to 10AU in the 19 prints I have (and I know these are from 2000).

So from this basic research on two packs of prints that I pulled out, my conclusion is that your photos are from 2000. I also think the 0120 refers to a roll of 12 shots (of which you are looking at shot No. 13). I had shot 25 on a 24 shot roll, along with 00A and 0A for total of 27 shots.

Great excuse to go back and look at some old pictures!

 

[compur]

The phone number of the Costco Photo Center is: 1-855-620-7579 (toll free).