Box Processing Dates

In April 2018, Post cereal collector Fred McKie posed a question about the card in the rightmost position on the 1961 Post Tens baseball trays. He noticed that some of those cards were stamped with three or four digit numbers. The numbers are many times upside down. Orlando Cepeda's Post Tens' card shows varying dates of 109 and 1090. Collector and former Post employee Bill Rothney was consulted and offered information that three of the digits likely show the Julian date the box was filled with product. Post Tens trays from the football promotion were checked for similar numbers and four digit numbers were also found as were numbers on the bottoms of boxes of both football and baseball promotions. Instead of being stamped in ink, the numbers on the boxes were punched into the cardboard. Terry Faulk, another retired Post employee and collector was contacted and revealed that the first digit in the four digit code stood for the last digit in the year meaning that the number 2 would represent a date sometime in 1962. Similarly 1 stood for 1961 and 3 for 1963. The last three digits of the code were indeed the Julian date which is simply the sequential day of the year starting with 001 for January 1 and ending with 365 for December 31. A Julian chart is shown below as well as a listing of known 1962 Post cereal football box processing date codes. The chart shows that boxes were being filled as early as June 29, 1962 and as late as October 10, 1962. Collectors with any box processing dates are highly encouraged to e-mail any additional codes that will be added to the chart. Thanks to Terry Faulk, Bill Rothney, Fred McKie, Ken Marks, Dave Worley, David Charles, Mike Skiles and Dan Mabey for contributing to the exploration of the processing code dates.

Post Cereal Football Box Processing Dates
Product	Panel	Code	Date
AB13		2222	8/10/1962
AB8	115	2190	7/9/1962
AB8	124	2191	7/10/1962
BF16	134	2262	9/19/1962
GN11	18	2234	8/22/1962
GN11	74	2264	9/21/1962
GN16	130	2271	9/28/1962
GNF12		2224	8/12/1962
GNF12		2243	8/31/1962
GNF16	119	2180	6/29/1962
P10	10	2248	9/5/1962
P10	10	2257	9/14/1962
P10	119	2232	8/20/1962
P10	119	2281	10/8/1962
PT12T	66	2235	8/23/1962
PT12T	132	2283	10/10/1962
PT18	1	2269	9/26/1962
PT18	131	2288	10/15/1962
PT18	131	2193	7/12/1962
RB10	9	2220	8/8/1962
RB14	102	2213	8/1/1962
RB14	120	228x	10/7-16/1962
RK10	16	None
SC14	55	2281	10/8/1962

 

Julian Calendar Date Chart
Day/Month	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
1	001	032	060	091	121	152	182	213	244	274	305	335
2	002	033	061	092	122	153	183	214	245	275	306	336
3	003	034	062	093	123	154	184	215	246	276	307	337
4	004	035	063	094	124	155	185	216	247	277	308	338
5	005	036	064	095	125	156	186	217	248	278	309	339
6	006	037	065	096	126	157	187	218	249	279	310	340
7	007	038	066	097	127	158	188	219	250	280	311	341
8	008	039	067	098	128	159	189	220	251	281	312	342
9	009	040	068	099	129	160	190	221	252	282	313	343
10	010	041	069	100	130	161	191	222	253	283	314	344
11	011	042	070	101	131	162	192	223	254	284	315	345
12	012	043	071	102	132	163	193	224	255	285	316	346
13	013	044	072	103	133	164	194	225	256	286	317	347
14	014	045	073	104	134	165	195	226	257	287	318	348
15	015	046	074	105	135	166	196	227	258	288	319	349
16	016	047	075	106	136	167	197	228	259	289	320	350
17	017	048	076	107	137	168	198	229	260	290	321	351
18	018	049	077	108	138	169	199	230	261	291	322	352
19	019	050	078	109	139	170	200	231	262	292	323	353
20	020	051	079	110	140	171	201	232	263	293	324	354
21	021	052	080	111	141	172	202	233	264	294	325	355
22	022	053	081	112	142	173	203	234	265	295	326	356
23	023	054	082	113	143	174	204	235	266	296	327	357
24	024	055	083	114	144	175	205	236	267	297	328	358
25	025	056	084	115	145	176	206	237	268	298	329	359
26	026	057	085	116	146	177	207	238	269	299	330	360
27	027	058	086	117	147	178	208	239	270	300	331	361
28	028	059	087	118	148	179	209	240	271	301	332	362
29	029		088	119	149	180	210	241	272	302	333	363
30	030		089	120	150	181	211	242	273	303	334	364
31	031		090		151		212	243		304		365