German Deutsche Grammophon / Polydor codes on labels

There were already some questions in the past about the codes on the labels on "Deutsche Grammophon" / Polydor codes which are on the labels of records in the 50' and 60's and their meaning/their usage in the database.

Internet doesn't help much on that question, so I recently started a research in old contemporary magazines to solve this riddle. I didn't find out everything, but at least it is time to show my first results, which will answer anyway the general question "What is it?"

The first letter (for most cases):
When you take a look, the codes start either with N, E, L or S. What does it mean?

From several pubications the meaning of N, E and L is given by:
N= Normal
E= Extended, with suffix as 'EP' it means 'Extended Play'
L = Long, with suffix as 'LP' it means 'Long play'

From a age in a 50's magazine, this classification has direct connection with the catalogue number.
I cite this age:
45 r.p.m. discs, normal (NH) 22,000* (Polydor label), extended : 20,000* (EPH, Polydor label). 30,000* (EPL).

This leads again to the question: Is this part of the catalogue number, which was often argued here in forum.
The direct answer from the data is 'No", it doesn't, at least in the contemporary meaning it would be a doube determination. Why?

The code gives you a link to the catalogue number series (see above). Reading it as catalogue number will give you the message Number is 22xxx without NH, with NH it would mean single 22xxx 'from 22,000' series. As I am scientist, we would generally deal with the latter determination as 'trivial', since it is completely clear, that a record with the number 22xxx is part of the 22,000 series.

Anyway, I will not recommend you to leave it out or to write it down in order to make a mass release. Generally is the point, nik stated to leave it in, when as suffix of cat.no and to put in BAOI, if standalone sufficient.

With the first decodes of N, EP and L there are still some other letters. These can be read on "Deutsche Grammophon" label profile. Leading 'S' stands for stereo productions, the 'M' for 12'' (opposed to 10''-records).

The rest is the 'E' for 10'' and 12'' records and 'H' / 'L' for Singles and EPs
The 'E' is either used or left out. Its meaning i couldn't find out so far exactly (it could be 'extended')

The H and L (NH/NL or EPH/EPL) was often considered as "high-price", "low-price". Some texts, however note them e.g. as "..from the Hi-Fi-Series NH" and similarly. Thus, H and L are most likely of meaning high nd lo fidelity.
Also in this point I am not absolutely sure, as I couldn't find a hint for the L-series as 'Lo-Fidelity'-recording.

Now finally: What is it?
Here I have an example from Billboard, October 1965

See Article

In the majority of articles I read, I found the name 'Series' for these letters with often direct connection to the cat.no.
But it mustn't be used as series in Discogs, as it is not a series by definition (branded...)

Its place is in BAOI. How to call it?

Price code - Not completely wrong, since the retail price was derived from it. But the code itself is more than the price
Distribution code - Incorrect, since this is by definition something different.

Product code - I would favor this one, since it is a classification of the product catalogue
Alternatives, I would consider as correct:

-Product category
-Classification
-Catalogue code

I still have an antiquarian publication in order, which is supposed to come next week. So maybe I can refine my research soon.

Cheers bbm54

That's very handy, thank you. Saved.

Excellent job and very interesting read. Saved too. Many thanks.

Thank you, and I will even try to do better...

Start of next week, the textbook for record sellers in , published in 1961 will come into my archive. As I read on thumbnails, it contains lots of contemporary abbreviations and a full explanation on contemporary taxonomies of the common record labels.

It will definitevely be worth a look. I will report on that! Maybe it will bring some clearance.
For german speakers with interest, PM me, I found even a second copy of this book, I can give you the link, if you are interested in.

Still my textbook didn't arrive.

Anyway the "Bielefelder Katalog 1966" links Catalogue numbers and prices (in Deutschmark):

Deutsche Grammophon:
Mono
17000: 15,-
18000: 25,-
19000: 21,-
30000: 8,00
32000: 4,75
9100: Special price, "Liebhaber-Ausgaben"

Stereo
133000 15,-
136000 21,-
138000 25,-
109100 Special price, "Liebhaber-Ausgaben"

Polydor

Mono
20000: 8,-
21000: 8,-
22000: 4,75
23000: 4,75
24000: 4,75
46000: 18,-
48000: 21,-

Stereo
224000: 8,-
237000: 18,-
238000: 21,-

DG Archiv

Mono
13000: 15,-
14000: 25,-
37000: 8,-

Stereo
195000: 15,-
198000: 25,-

Other Deutsche Grammophon:

Brunswick
Mono, 87000: 18,-
Stereo, 267000: 18,-

Coral
Mono
94000: 8,-
97000: 18,-

Stereo
284000: 8,-
297000: 18,-

MGM

Mono
63000: 8,-
65000: 18,-

Stereo
663000: 8,-
665000: 15,-

UA
68000: 8,-

(Coding for all other distribution companies available, too)

--> There is no explicit price code for DG, Polydor and the other listed companies in 1966
All price-code entries for this time-period are, if you have a detailled view, not correct

Should this be entered into DG label page?

Today there is some news, since my secondary literature arrived.

The kid has a name, following the book "Schallplatten Verkaufslehre" by Bernhard Spatz and Fritz Wieninger, C. Bertelsmann Verlag, 1961.

On page 79, these codes are called "Schlüsselnummern von Industrie und Verlagen". This would make in the english translation something like

Label key (numbers).

Giving examples for the discussed labels, there are the following label-keys used in 1961 (Note-the above decoding was made with younger records with the state around 1967):

Polydor:
LPH, LPHM, NH, SEPH, SKN, SLPH, SLPHM
Deutsche Grammophon:
EPL, EPLS, LP, LPE, LPEM, LPEMS, LPES, LPM, LPMS, NL, NLS, SEPL, SLP, SLPEM, SLPM, SNL
Deutsche Grammophon Archiv:
AP, APM, EPA, SAP, SAPM, SEPA

But also for others as

Ariola:
A, B, C, D, E, G/H, I, K, L, O, P, R, S, T, W
Decca:
AWD, AWD-C, AWD-E, BLK, BLK-P, D, DK, DL, D-M, DSC, DSD, DSF, DX, LF, LK, LTW, LX, LXT, LXT-H, OL, PLX, SAWD, SAWD-B, SAWD-D, SD, SDK, SDS, SDSF, SDX, SKL, SLF, SLK-P, SLW, SVD, SXL, SXL-B, VD

Code - RPM - Size - Price - Label - Series
AP - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Archiv - 13000
APM - 33 - 30cm - 25 DM - Archiv - 14000
EPA - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Archiv - 37000
SEPA - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Archiv Stereo - 181000
SAP - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Archiv Stereo - 193000
SAPM - 33 - 30cm - 25 DM - Archiv Stereo - 198000

EPB - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Brunswick - 10000
NB - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Brunswick - 12000
LPB - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Brunswick - 86000
LPBM - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Brunswick - 87000
SNB - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Brunswick Stereo - 250000
SEPB - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Brunswick Stereo - 254000
SLPBM - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Brunswick Stereo - 267000

CRL - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Coral - 57000
SNC - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Coral Stereo - 280000
SEPC - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Coral Stereo - 284000
SLPC - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Coral Stereo - 295000
SLPCM - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Coral Stereo - 297000
SCRL - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Coral Stereo - 737000

LP - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - DGG - 16000
LPE - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - DGG - 17000
LPM - 33 - 30cm - 25 DM - DGG - 18000
LPEM - 33 - 30cm - 21 DM - DGG - 19000
EPL - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - DGG - 30000
NL - 45 - 17cm - 5 DM - DGG - 32000
SNL - 45 - 17cm - 5 DM - DGG Stereo - 120000
SEPL - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - DGG Stereo - 121000
SLP - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - DGG Stereo - 133000
SLP - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - DGG Stereo - 135000
SLPEM - 33 - 30cm - 21 DM - DGG Stereo - 136000
SLPM - 33 - 30cm - 25 DM - DGG Stereo - 138000

EPLS - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Literarisches Archiv - 34000
NLS - 45 - 17cm - 5 DM - Literarisches Archiv - 35000
LPS - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Literarisches Archiv - 41000
LPES - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Literarisches Archiv - 42000
LPMS - 33 - 30cm - 25 DM - Literarisches Archiv - 43000
LPEMS - 33 - 30cm - 21 DM - Literarisches Archiv - 44000
SLPMS - 33 - 30cm - 25 DM - Literarisches Archiv Stereo - 168000

EPH - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Polydor - 20000
EPH - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Polydor - 21000
NH - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Polydor - 22000
NH - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Polydor - 23000
NH - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Polydor - 24000
NH - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Polydor - 66000
LPH - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Polydor - 45000
LPHM - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Polydor - 46000
HPM - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Polydor - 47000
KN - 45 - 17cm - 5,75 DM - Polydor - 47000
SNH - 45 - 17cm - 4 DM - Polydor Stereo - 220000
SKN - 45 - 17cm - 5,75 DM - Polydor Stereo - 223000
SEPH - 45 - 17cm - 8 DM - Polydor Stereo - 224000
SLPH - 33 - 25cm - 15 DM - Polydor Stereo - 235000
SLPHM - 33 - 30cm - 18 DM - Polydor Stereo - 237000

TM - various - Technical records - 99000

No codes for: MGM, United Artists, Langenscheidt, Command Stereo, Heliodor, Cantate and special releases (all series).

Edit: Typos