Giant Bikes Serial Numbers

Lots of searching and no definite results, but lots and lots of ambiguity on ideas but lacking substance or proof of concept

I have a newly acquired Giant Halfway the Serial number is GA870438

From the information and guesswork I have read online:
1st letter G = Brand mark (Giant) [However this has also been suggested as a year 2015??]
2nd letter A = the fortnight of manufacture (my thoughts being first fortnight of the month?)
3rd number 8 = the year of manufacture (possibly 2008? defo not 2018
4th number 7 = the month of manufacture (July?)
last 4 numbers are sequential frame numbers for that month or even that fortnight.

Im not convinced of my suppositions as it seems far too easy to assume this is frame 438 produced in the first 2 weeks of July 2008
Its definitely an earlier model as the Halfway name is embossed onto the frame rather than the decals that I normally saw.

Can anyone throw some thoughts good or bad on what I have found and think might be possible or just utter rubbish?

Many Thanks
Scott

non-fixie said:

Not sure about newer Giants, but the third digit of the serial number used to be the last digit of the production year. (The first digit being a 'G' for Giant, the second a letter to indicate the production fortnight.)

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@non-fixie may shine a light @Scott-S

Iirc the hubs have push-button qrs under the rubber cover?
But of course you don't need to take the wheels off, you can change tyres and tubes fully assembled