Answers.Body: <p>Such identifications exist not just on building instructions but on other printed items like <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=C&amp;catString=370" rel="nofollow noreferrer">catalogs</a>, brochures, <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?C=s96de1#T=P" rel="nofollow noreferrer">leaflets</a> and so on. I don't have anything to base my answer on, but my guess this is some sort of &quot;inventory ID&quot;. Just to make things easier to store and refer to instead of using using full name like &quot;Building instructions for 8034&quot;.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2022-09-02T13:50:05.653Z
Answers.Text: And instructions could have been different for different regions (A4 vs. Letter, for instance),
Answers.UserDisplayName: RSchulz
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Answers.CreationDate: 2022-09-02T14:01:23.017Z
Answers.Text: I agree. Having an article number or ID number for printed materials is a very common business practice. It allows you to treat the materials just like any other item for warehousing/shipping/manufacturing purposes. When you look at recent Lego packing boxes you see next to the barcode a line "Item: XXXXXX"with a 6 or 7 digit number. This probably serves the same purpose for the box itself.
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Body: <p>Along with the set number, my old LEGO instruction booklets have a larger number in a smaller font on them as well. What do these numbers represent? What are they for? Unit/serial number?<br />
  This booklet for example:
  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/psFqC.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/psFqC.jpg" alt="Lego set 8034 cover, with 120733" /></a>
  It has &quot;120733&quot; written on the right in the black border at the bottom, in a font about half as high as said border. You need to zoom in to see it.<br />
  My newer sets' instructions don't seem to have this.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2022-09-02T02:03:23.917Z
Comments.Text: I'm not sure if this has any relevance, but Brick Owl use this number as the Item No. for instructions. [see 8034](https://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-universal-set-8034-instructions)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Matthew Jensen
Tags: <sets><instructions><vintage><set-numbering>
Title: What are the small numbers on old LEGO instruction booklet covers for?
UserDisplayName: Yodo
ThreadText: # What are the small numbers on old LEGO instruction booklet covers for?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2022-09-01)
  
  Along with the set number, my old LEGO instruction booklets have a larger number in a smaller font on them as well. What do these numbers represent? What are they for? Unit/serial number?  
  This booklet for example:
  [![Lego set 8034 cover, with 120733](https://i.sstatic.net/psFqC.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/psFqC.jpg)
  It has "120733" written on the right in the black border at the bottom, in a font about half as high as said border. You need to zoom in to see it.  
  My newer sets' instructions don't seem to have this.
  
  **Tags:** sets, instructions, vintage, set-numbering
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I'm not sure if this has any relevance, but Brick Owl use this number as the Item No. for instructions. [see 8034](https://www.brickowl.com/catalog/lego-universal-set-8034-instructions)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2022-09-02. Score: 4
  
  Such identifications exist not just on building instructions but on other printed items like [catalogs](https://www.bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?catType=C&catString=370), brochures, [leaflets](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?C=s96de1#T=P) and so on. I don't have anything to base my answer on, but my guess this is some sort of "inventory ID". Just to make things easier to store and refer to instead of using using full name like "Building instructions for 8034".
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: And instructions could have been different for different regions (A4 vs. Letter, for instance),  
  > **username_4**: I agree. Having an article number or ID number for printed materials is a very common business practice. It allows you to treat the materials just like any other item for warehousing/shipping/manufacturing purposes. When you look at recent Lego packing boxes you see next to the barcode a line "Item: XXXXXX"with a 6 or 7 digit number. This probably serves the same purpose for the box itself.  
  
  ---
  
  