During the Second World War RAF aircraft carrying secret equipment or that were in themselves secret had "/G" added to the end of the serial, the "G" signifying "Guard", denoting that the aircraft was to have an armed guard at all times while on the ground, e.g., LZ548/G-the prototype de Havilland Vampire jet fighter, or ML926/G-a de Havilland Mosquito XVI experimentally fitted with H2S radar. In the case of the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) the "Serial" takes the form of two letters followed by three numbers, e.g., BT308-the prototype Avro Lancaster, or XS903-an English Electric Lightning F.6 at one time based at RAF Binbrook. Main article: United Kingdom military aircraft serials
#Bulova case serial number identification serial numbers
These depend on applying mathematically rigorous serial numbers and serial number arithmetic It is serially assigned but takes its name from the library science use of serial to mean a periodical, like a newspaper.Ĭertificates and Certificate Authorities (CA) are necessary for widespread use of cryptography. It is the similar to the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for books. The International Standard Serial Number or ISSN can be seen on magazines and other periodicals. Serial numbers also help track down counterfeit currency, because in some countries each banknote has a unique serial number. These numbers are verified using a certain algorithm to avoid usage of counterfeit keys. Many computer programs come with serial numbers, often called "Compact Disc keys", and the installers often require the user to enter a valid serial number to continue. Stolen goods or those with problems can be identified more easily. Serial numbers can also be used against stealing or imitating products, because it is possible to keep track of which serial numbers have been used.
That way, if there is a problem with a certain batch of products, the serial number of one defective item can tell which items are affected by the problem. Serial numbers can be very useful for quality control.