Siemens date code expert needed!

[BrassTeacher]

I have a Siemens tube here, with almost every bit of the lettering gone, that is either a CCa, or an E88CC. Is it possible to tell which it is by the date code? Date code is (I hope this displays correctly):

Aø
1≠
5K

This date code appears stamped on a metal plate, inside the tube, attached to the getter frame. Tube has a halo getter. There is also a "4" stamped inside the glass on the bottom of the tube (where the diamond would be if it was a Telefunken), and the inner shield is grey, not shiny.

Yes, it has gold pins...

Any help identifying appreciated!

Oh, and don't EVEN try: "Ah, that's just a common piece of junk that isn't even worth using for target practice, so you should send it to me!", I'm not THAT stupid!

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I don't have an answer on the date codes but you might try looking at the various Siemens E88CC tube construction on these pages to help identify. In some of these you can see the stamped date codes A6 ..., A4 ..., Aø ... etc.
The first link just has one page of E88CC / CCa, the second link has several pages, so you'll need to navigate to the Siemens pages (pages 6 through 8), then click on the images to enlarge.

http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/SieTel E88CC/E88CC.htm
http://www.tubemongerlib.com/gallery2/v/6922/

 

[BrassTeacher]

Thanks for the links, the effort is truly appreciated.

I should have mentioned in my first post though, that I had been to those sites, plus many others, already (oops).:nutz:

So yeah, I have already hit Google, and done not only a website search, but an image search as well. I've been through the images and info enough to narrow it down to E88CC or CCa. It is definitely Siemens, most likely pre-1965, and it is not one of the so-called "lesser" variants. What has me puzzled is that there are many photos of the CCa and the E88CC that show an identical internal structure, so I was assuming the date code would be the only way to tell, sort of the same way you can identify a Mullard tube's type by its date code.

The only bits of labeling left are "ermany" (you can barely see the "y" even), and the very bottom right corner of a letter "A" and the red circle of an RCA logo.

The tube sounds great in my Counterpoint SA-1000 after it gets good and warm, it's just that I'd like a more positive ID so I can get an idea of where the numbers should fall on the tube tester.