This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ZFB.2ACI/4051.1 Message Board Post: I believe the later date you found on the "Index Cards" would be the date the Certificate of Naturalization was issued, while the earlier date would've been when he filed his Petition for Naturalization which led to him getting that certificate (hope that makes sense). That is an educated guess, as I've never looked at the "Index Cards," but the 4 month gap in the dates is about how long it would've have taken to get the certificate after filing the petition. I don't know of any microfilms of the records available through the FHL. There are two locations that I know of that should have the records you're looking for. . . In Boston, the Massachusetts Archives http://www.sec.state.ma.us/arc/arcgen/genidx.htm#natural NARA in Waltham, MA http://www.archives.gov/northeast/boston/public/genealogy-resources.html#naturalization I not sure about the Mass. Archives, but I have ordered records from NARA. The last time I ordered it was $10 for copies of up to 5 records. I had to send them all the information I found from the index & they mailed the records. You could call or e-mail NARA & they could probably answer your question about the different dates, as well as answer any other questions you might have. Contact info is at http://www.archives.gov/northeast/boston/contacts.html