RCA Records Factory, Italy

Italian vinyl record pressing, cassette and super 8 cartridge duplication plant. Operating since 1953 just outside of Rome. Closed 1987. Vinyl pressings can be identified by a stamped pattern of letters and strings, unique to the plant: ABCD 12345 1S - 1A 1 where: A stands for the mastering/cutting year B stands for the country of reference of the masters C stands for the musical genre D stands for the format. 12345 1S indicates the number of the master tape within RCA Italiana, followed by the numbers for lacquer, mother and stamper (1A 1). The mastering/cutting years are as follows: A = 1971 B = 1972 C = 1973 D = 1974 E = 1975 F = 1976 G = 1977 H = 1978 I = 1979 J = 1958 and 1980 K = 1959 and 1981 L = 1960 and 1982 M = 1961 and 1983 N = 1962 and 1984 O = 1963 and 1985 P = 1964 and 1986 Q = 1965 R = 1966 S = 1967 T = 1968 U = 1969 (V to Y are not allocated) Z = 1970. The country of reference is in most of the cases K = Italy (F = UK). The (so far identified) musical genres are: A = Popular music B = Classical music D = Children H = Jazz P = Opera The formats are: A = 7", 45 RPM, "Living Stereo" - until 1961. In 1970 (only) = Stereo (then replaced by S) B = 10", 33 ⅓ RPM, Mono H = 7", 45 RPM, EP P = 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Mono Q = 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Mono ("Q-Disc") S = 7", 45 RPM, Promo - until 1970, then used for Stereo, replacing A. U = 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo W = 7", 45 RPM, "New Orthophonic High Fidelity" (= Mono) until 1963 and Mono until 1971. X = 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Mono, compilation Y = 12", 33 ⅓ RPM, Stereo This system was given up after 1985. The preceding system, between 1953 and 1958, was in the format of: 2EnXY (e.g. 2E3RP), where 2 stands for RCA Italy E stands for the decade (E = 50s), n for the mastering/cutting year (e.g. 1, 3, 5, 7), X for the style (R = Classic, V = Popular, Jazz), Y for the format (N = 7" 45 RPM EP Mono, W = 7" 45 RPM Mono, P = LP 33 ⅓ RPM Mono). A similar system was occasionally used in the 1960s and 1970s, i.e. 2X#KZ, where 2 stands for Italy, X is the decade (F=1960s, G=1970s), # is the mastering/cutting year (e.g. 0, 2, 5, 8, 9) K meaning is unknown, Z stands for the format (see above). Examples: 2G5KS = 1975, 7" 45 RPM Stereo; 2G1KP = 1971, LP 33 ⅓ RPM Mono; 2F8KW = 1968, 7" 45 RPM Mono; 2F2KQ =1962, 7" 33 ⅓ RPM, Mono.