7-4 symbol is not prefixed to the stock number on supply documents, forms, or records. The  first  numeric  character  of  the  cognizance symbol denotes the stores account of the item. Briefly, the numerical characters indicate the following: 1, 3, 5, 7 Material is held in the Navy stock account (NSA). When this material is issued, it must be paid for by the requisitioner. 9 Material purchased by the defense stock fund and held in the NSA account. When this material is issued, it must be paid for by the requisitioner. 2, 4, 6, 8 Material   held   in   the   appropriations purchases  account  (APA)  and  issued without charge to the requisitioner. 0, 8A Material  is  not  in  a  stores  account (nonstores) and is issued without charge to the requisitioner. The second character (letter), in conjunction with the first numeric character, identifies the specific inventory control point, office, or inventory manager that has cognizance or controls the issuance of the material. SPECIAL MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION CODE (SMIC) Special material identification codes (SMICs) are assigned  to  certain  items  to  ensure  their  technical integrity. Because of the nature of these items, they have stricter requirements regarding procurement, issue and receipt, inspections, tests, storage, and handling. An example would be items specially designed, manufactured, and tested for use in  nuclear  reactor plants, which require special handling, machining, and so forth, before being installed and used. An SMIC is a two-digit alpha or alphanumeric code (for example, 5330-00-010-04960-X3). NAVSUP P- 485,  appendix  9L,  lists  and  explains  the  SMICs currently authorized. NOMENCLATURE As part of the federal catalog system, each item of supply   is   assigned   an   official   government   name. Personnel frequently refer to material by trade names or common terms, rather than the official name. Referring to an item by its common term is not wrong. However, only the official name of an item should be used when recording or requisitioning supplies. OTHER SOURCES OF IDENTIFICATION DATA Assume that you do not have a stock number for an item and cannot locate it in the allowance lists. You then have two primary sources of information for identifying the item: (1) other identification data relating to the item itself  and  (2)  identification  publications  in  which available data are recorded and used. If you can find other identification data, such as reference numbers for the item, your supply department may be able to locate the correct NSN. A reference number may be a part, type, catalog, or drawing number; or it may be a specification or nomenclature designation that  the  manufacturer,  contractor,  or  governmental agency has applied to the item. A superseded stock number is also a type of reference number. One of the most   important   sources   of   identification   is   the information on nameplates. The nameplate may include manufacturer’s   name,   make,   model   number,   size, voltage, and the like. Identification publications, such as a manufacturer’s technical manual, may also help you in identifying an item. Manufacturers’ Part Numbers Commercial catalogs and instruction booklets issued by  manufacturers  contain  valuable  information  you should use in preparing procurement documents for nonstandard material. Use these catalogs and booklets as supplements to Navy publications to identify commercial equipment, repair parts, and accessories accurately. Serial Numbers Certain technical material may be serially numbered, either by direction of the responsible bureau or systems command or by the manufacturer. These serial numbers are used in maintaining records on the material. They