Note: The "Lincoln Blue Print" label was applied by the seller.

	Staedtler Mars Lumograph 1904 “Tracing Refills” J. S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm (2.6 mm for ExB degree) ExB, 2B–B, HB, F, H–6H (full range unkown) 6 paper box 1931 to (1940s) Germany see also pre-Lumograph Staedtler “Mars” drawing leads

The Lumograph brand was introduced about 1931. The lead's composition was formulated specifically for the creation of graphite drawings that could be printed from without the need for inking hence the “Tracing Refills” designation. I believe the Mars Lumograph formulation soon proved superior to the plain Mars leads and supplanted them.

German packaging. Note the purple “1” stamped on to indicate twelve rather than six leads.	courtesy Allan Macdonald collection

	Note the German spelling "Blei-Minen" on this European package. Also note the 2.6 mm thickness of these 6B leads.

	Mars Lumograph No. 1904 Drawing Leads (paper box with paper covered core) J. S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm (2.6 mm for softer leads) 18: ExB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H 6 or 12 wood core with paperboard shell 1940s Germany

A 1/2 dozen count box, this one sold in the USA.


a later example with 12 leads in the same style box with an applied "12 Leads" tag.

Note the German spelling "Blei-Minen" on this European package.

Mars Lumograph No. 1904 Drawing Leads (paper box with Beech wood core) J. S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany

lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm (2.6 mm for softer leads) 18: ExB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H 6 or 12 wood core with paperboard shell 1950s Germany see also Keuffel & Esser Co. catalog, 1954, p 263 Defiance Sales Corp. catalog, 1955, p 249 Charles Bruning Co. Catalog, 1957, p 205 "Your Brain's Best Friends,"1958 magazine ad Alfred Mossner Co. Catalog, 1959, p 58 Staedtler Mars Lumograph Duralar leads

The wooden core of these packages are made of beech, a very hard wood typically used in furniture construction and excessively strong for packing leads. Beech was also used for the production of Staedtler's Technico 1000 series leadholders which was sensible as the leadholders have a thin-walled barrel requiring a strong material. The on-hand supplies of beech wood for leaholder production then may explain why the wood was also used for the lead packages.


a still later example with a faux "12 Leads" tag now printed directly on the label.

	French packaging.

	Mars Lumograph No. 1904 Drawing Leads (paper tube) J. S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm (2.6 mm for softer leads) 18: ExB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H 6 paper tube (1950s) Germany   see also J.S. Staedtler Tradition 1900 leads (France)

reverse

	Staedtler Mars Lumograph 1904 (plastic flip top box) J.S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm (2.6 mm for softer leads) 18: XB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–6H 12 or 6 plastic box 1960s Germany

	reverse

	Staedtler Mars Lumograph 200 (plastic flip top box) J.S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm 18: EB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–6H 12 or 6 plastic box 1970s Germany   see also Staedtler Noris Drawing Leads

This is the missing link. Model number 200 but still in the old model 1904 package. At some point in the 1970s Staedtler revamped their model numbers. Lumograph leads changed from 1904 to 200 and Lumograph pencils changed from 2886 to 100. Seems sensible. If you're into nice, round numbers.

Rudolph: Hey, Johann! Let's waste 10,000 man-hours changing all our packaging and order forms and inventory system so we can use smaller part numbers!

Johann: Good idea, Rudolph!

I bet it wasn't like that. I bet it was more like this:

Fast-talking salesman from IBM: Rudolph, Johann, let me tell you about the new Brainiac 9000. It's a COM-PYEW-TUR. An electronic brain that “thinks” one-thousand times faster than a human!

Rudolph & Johann : Wimmern!

Fast-talking salesman from IBM: With it you could do your payroll in 14 secondsI

Rudolph & Johann : We'll take it! Here's all our money!

Fast-talking salesman from IBM: Danke. Oh, one thing. It can only handle part numbers with three digits. Auf Wiedersehen.

Rudolph & Johann : Scheiße!

A week passes and Rudolph and Johann have devised a plan...

Rudolph & Johann : Ummm... Yeah... Helga, sweety, we're going to need you to work this weekend. Yeah... You see we're going to rework our accounting and inventory systems to accomodate a new three-digit part number thing we're implementing. Right... And when you're finished it'd be just super if you could move your desk into storage, mmmkay? Yeah... Because we sorta need the space for the new Braniac 9000. Oh, and when you're done with those things you can just kinda take off and not come back, mmmkay? Becuse you're fired. The Braniac 9000 will do your job from now on, mmmkay? Great!

	Staedtler Mars Lumograph 200 (plastic roll top box) J.S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm 18: EB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H 12 plastic box (late 1970s)-2005 Germany   see also Staedtler Mars Catalog, 1985, p 16 Staedtler Katalog 1987-88, p 12

This example of a roll top box's reverse graphic illustrates the interchangeable color coded pushbuttons for Staedtler leadholders that came with each pack of 12 leads.


An alternative example of a roll top box's reverse graphic advertising the Mars Plastic eraser.

	Mars Carbon 200 Staedtler Mars
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm 7: 4B, 2B, B, HB, H, 2H, 4H 12 plastic box 2005 to present (2008) Germany

I’m not sure what the story is with these “Carbon” leads. They retain the model 200 designation previously used by the 80-year-old “Lumograph” brand that preceded these and I suspect they are actually the same leads. My guess is that Staedtler wanted to bring their thin lead and thick leads under a single brand and “carbon” made sense for the thin leads which are typically produced using a technique known as “carbonization,” so they just decided to call all their graphite leads for mechanical pencils “carbon.”

	Staedtler Mars Lumograph 200 E2 J.S. Staedtler, Nürnberg, Germany
	lead type lead size available degrees/colors package quantity package composition production date origin graphite 2 mm 18: EB, 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H 2 plastic tube (1970s) to present Germany   see also Staedtler Mars Catalog, 1985, p 16 Staedtler Katalog 1987-88, p 12

circa 1980s-90s package