I can't see all the features of the stamp in your photo to check, but what I see all points to:

[img]http://black.net.nz/avedis/images/60s-stamp-measure.jpg[/img]

Zen man, that is the best Zildjian ID info. I have ever seen.

I would buy a catalog showing all the stamps just like you have shown.

Great Job sir.

Zildjian stamps are a mystery to me.

I have done no homework so thats probably why.

ggd

Thanks. The original timeline work was done by Bill Hartrick. I've tried to replicate his work from a decade ago. That image is from my site:

http://black.net.nz/avedis.html

which is there (along with other links) in my signature.

No need to buy a catalog, all my work is available for free on the web and anybody is able to download it and use it in their own work. Under the share-alike Creative Commons license all you need to do is say you got it from me. Just as I acknowledge that the original names and years for these started with Bill. I'm just following his pioneering work.

That photo is actually missing an additional annotation to show what we mean when we say "the three dots". That's on my site, but not yet on that 60s photo.

[img]http://black.net.nz/cym2014/60s.jpg[/img]

One of my ongoing projects is to make all the identification photos free standing. I'm also always finding better ways to distinguish among the different trademark die stamps, and the site gets updated when I find out new things.

Thank you for your help and the great resource!! It is barely stamped. Gift for the 10yr old nephew so let him decide if to clean any further.

Small rim chip and slight keyhole so he gets a nice cymbal but not a spendy one.

Creighton

Zen, Creighton`s J in Zildjian is less hooked and stops at the bottom of the line in the A Your first pic is different and more hooked to the top or past the line in the A. Your second pic is the same J.

I think it was Bill that talked about the J but I don`t really remember.

You wouldn't be thinking about the discussion of the hook of the J on the very earliest stamps by any chance? That's to do with what Bill calls the pre trans stamps (Winnie calls them "First Stamps" which Bill doesn't like).

http://www.hidehitters.com/cymbals/Zildjianstamps/timeline.html#FIRSTSTAMP

That's the only "shape of the hook of the J" discussion I'm aware of.

I can't verify the distinction you are talking about from these particular 1960s stamp photos because none of them provide a really clear look at three key points: top of the hook of the J, the top and bottom of the cross bar of the A, and the o of Co. I've tried to draw a reference line in relation to these 3 points but it's tricky. Here's my best effort so far:

[img]http://black.net.nz/avedis/images/60s-J.jpg[/img]

[img]http://black.net.nz/avedis/images/60s-J2.jpg[/img]

They look the same in alignment to me The line crosses the A on the upper portion of the cross bar in both cases. Unfortunately placed lathe lines don't help, and it is also possible that the photos have been differentially stretched in one dimension in the process of cropping and getting to the desired size for posting. All these factors make comparisons tricky at the best of times. In the stamp pic from the original post the ZILDJIAN font looks relatively wider than that one I posted, but that can just be the effect of post processing.

It could still be that the Js are different because I know of at least 3 different 1960s dies. So the difference you suggest could certainly be down to the different dies. I've got hundreds of examples of 60s stamp in my reference collection and I've been working on ways to differentiate the 3 dies, but haven't found anything reliable yet. I'll continue to work through the possibilities.

Another layer of grime off and a better photo. Under 20x loop I can't see any sign of Made in U.S.A. ever being stamped. Ottoman very weak. How common are Zildjian 19" cymbals? Thanks everyone !!

Only thing applied to photo is rotation. That did not work as expected. Click on the image and then repeat should be correct. Weird.

Creighton

I can see the U.S.A. in your photo, at least I think I'm seeing it and it has the correct alignment. I've also indicated where to look for the MADE. It is possible that not all of it got pressed in properly.

[img]http://black.net.nz/avedis/images/60s-annotated-3.jpg[/img]

19" cymbals aren't as common as other diameters like 18" and 20" but they aren't unheard of. In my vintage A tracking research so far I've got

18" 138 cymbals

19" 21 cymbals

20" 182 cymbals

21" 24 cymbals

22" 144 cymbals

which gives you an idea of their relative frequency. The evens have it. This is the same pattern I've found with vintage Paiste 602s where my sample size is much bigger.

Maybe, but look at the line you made, one J is wider and don`t drop as far below it. There`s a clear difference that I see.

It`s like they broke or lost one and had it replaced, that would be a time indicator for sure.