Mouth letters

[kits]

Hi everyone, I just wondered if anyone had a list of what years the letters in older Julip Originals' mouths correspond to?

I am trying to look up "S" if anyone knows that off the top of their head but if someone has a list I'm sure it will be useful to others too Thank you!

[george]

I know 1971 is when date letters began, obviously with A, so we can count on from there

[kits]

Thank you I started counting thinking the same letters that were missed out of number plates would be missing, but I suppose it's not such an issue with horses!

[elli]

Apr 29, 2015 20:15:12 GMT george said:

I know 1971 is when date letters began, obviously with A, so we can count on from there

I replied to this yesterday, or tried to, but my phone clearly hasn't sent the message through   

Georgie is right about them starting in 1971, I can remember working them out in the early days of the forum as I bought an old quarter horse who came in her original box (with dated postmark) and we've had this date system confirmed since by collectors who were around at the time. However, there was some speculation (and I can't remember if it was confirmed or what was decided!) that 'S' might signify a special order model. I don't know if anyone can confirm this or remembers the discussion we had at the time?

[astudyinscarlet]

I don't think S on its own meant 'special' (special in that case I think being essentially a portrait model with very specific colouring, markings, etc, not just a request for a particular mould or basic colour) but I'm sure I remember some people saying they have models with 2 mouth letters, something else and an S. But I don't think they were consistent over time about the additional S, maybe it depended on who painted them.

(Also now I remember some people saying they have vintages with things written under their hooves? Some with numbers, some with R supposedly for reject.)

The mouth letters aren't always reliable though, my first original has the wrong year letter.

[george]

I agree about the extra S for Special - I have one vintage who the seller told me was a portrait with markings copied from photos of a real horse she used to ride, so a definite special order, and he just has a year letter, no added S. The eye style does change two or three times during the 70s and 80s so I'm assuming different people took on painting duties, so it seems likely one of them chose to use an S that way but most never did.

R for Reject seems a bit redundant, Julip would know if a model was a mistake or unwanted order, and not need to get the paints back out to add a coded 'label' to remind them it could be sold off to someone else

[kits]

...Sooo what about this horse, who has "9319" and a letter crammed into his mouth??

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Bay-Arab-Stallion-Julip-Model-Horse-/281687415576