I see why you're confused.  Standard practice for LC and PCC libraries is discreetly documented deep in Module 10 of the CONSER Cataloging Manual:

"If neither the first nor last issue is in hand, do not give a date of publication according to  RDA 2.8.6.5. Do not apply RDA 2.8.6.5 in this situation because it is unknown whether there is a date on the first issue or what the date should be. When describing the serial from an issue other than the first or the last, do not input $c in the 264 field. As a result, there is no ending punctuation; do not include a comma following the publisher."
https://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/conser/word/Module10.doc

As you saw, there's no way to get there from the relevant instruction in the RDA Toolkit.  I have no idea why this isn't documented properly in an LC/PCC Policy Statement.

Robert

On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 4:09 PM, Silvana Notarmaso <loni@mptek.net> wrote:
Hello Robert,
Thank you for replying. Others have sent me more or less the same response. The reason for my confusion is that rules seem to vary based on source. CONSER says not to add dates if you don't have the first/last issues, but RDA (2.8.6.5, scroll down) and DCRMS (4D4.2) say to add the dates in square brackets if they're ascertainable.

-Silvana


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] question about entering serial pub dates in the
260/264 field
 From: "Robert J. Rendall" <rr2205@COLUMBIA.EDU>
Date: Wed, July 26, 2017 11:17 am
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG

Hi Silvana -

You only enter dates in the 260/264 when you have the first and/or last issues in hand.  So in your situation, your 264 has no subfield $c, and the information you have goes in a 362 field:

362 1_ Began in 1786; ceased in 1865.

Robert Rendall
Principal Serials Cataloger
Original and Special Materials Cataloging, Columbia University Libraries
102 Butler Library, 535 West 114th Street, New York, NY 10027

On Wed, Jul 26, 2017 at 12:36 PM, Silvana Notarmaso <loni@mptek.net> wrote:
Hello all,
I am primarily a rare monograph and map cataloger, but occasionally I do serials too. But my experience is very limited and I always question my serial cataloging decisions and I usually find myself overwhelmed with doubts. I joined this list to seek the support I don't have at my job, so, please excuse my ignorance on the subject. One of the problems I have is I'm not quite sure how to enter dates in the 260/264 field when I'm pretty confident about the beginning and end dates but I don't actually have the first or last issues. From my research I determined that the beginning date is 1786 and that the end date for that title (before continued by another) is 1865. So, how should indicate this in the record? 

Thanks,
Silvana

To unsubscribe from the SERIALST list, click the following link:
http://listserv.nasig.org/scripts/wa-NASIG.exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 [ listserv. nasig. org/scripts/wa-NASIG. exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 ] [ listserv. nasig. org/scripts/wa-NASIG. exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 ]


To unsubscribe from the SERIALST list, click the following link:
http://listserv.nasig.org/scripts/wa-NASIG.exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 [ listserv. nasig. org/scripts/wa-NASIG. exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 ] [ listserv. nasig. org/scripts/wa-NASIG. exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 ]

To unsubscribe from the SERIALST list, click the following link:
http://listserv.nasig.org/scripts/wa-NASIG.exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 [ listserv. nasig. org/scripts/wa-NASIG. exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 ] [ listserv. nasig. org/scripts/wa-NASIG. exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1 ]



To unsubscribe from the SERIALST list, click the following link:
http://listserv.nasig.org/scripts/wa-NASIG.exe?SUBED1=SERIALST&A=1