From the Lafayette Catalog N0. 670, 1966, I got this information:

The only IC's for sale were Texas Instruments "Solid State Networks" (also
called Integrated Circuits).

Series 53 Digital Modified - DTL (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(14 parts listed).
Series 73 Digital (Industrial) = Modified DTL (0 degC to +70 degC)
(13 parts listed that are slightly different than 53 series).
Series 51 Low-power Digital - RCTL (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(17 parts listed).
Series 15930 High-speed Digital - DTL (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(11 parts listed).
Series 15830 and Series 15830P High-speed Digital - DTL (0 degC to +70 degC)
(10 parts listed that are slightly different than 15 930 series).
Series 74 930 High-speed Digital - TTL (0 degC to +70 degC)
(Only 7 parts listed).
Series 54 930 High-speed Digital - TTL (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(Same 7 parts as the 74 930 series).

Series 52 Differential/Operational Amplifiers (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(7 parts listed. These ranged from $29.95 to $57.00 each).
Series 55 High-frequency Amplifiers (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(3 parts listed. $13 for video amps and $56.00 for a Magnetic-core Sense
Amplifier).

Series 74 and Series 74P High-speed Digital - TTL (0 degC to +70 degC)
SN7400, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 51, 53, 60, 70, 74, 7480, 90N and 91.
(Note the missing SN7404. A 7400 cost $6.50 and a 7474 cost $11.40).
Series 54 High-speed Digital - TTL (-55 degC to +125 degC)
(Same parts as the 74 series except there is no 7490N). A SN54 series part
cost exactly twice a SN74 series part).

In the 1971 Newark catalog, the SN7400 was $1.56 and the SN7474 was $3.11.
The MC1741 (uA741 equivalent) was as low as $2.10 each.


From Wikipedia: "Sourced by many manufacturers, and in multiple similar
products, an example of a bipolar transistor operational amplifier is
the 741 integrated circuit designed by Dave Fullagar at Fairchild
Semiconductor after Bob Widlar's LM301 integrated circuit design."


This paper has great detailed descriptions of early op-amps and some
interesting history:

http://web.stanford.edu/class/archive/ee/ee214/ee214.1032/Handouts/ho18opamp.pdf

From the above paper:

"The spectacular success of the 709 was associated with production
demands high enough to cause rapid and steep price reductions (despite
yields that were simply terrible for mysterious reasons). This op-amp,
introduced at approximately $70, was the first to break through the $10
barrier (and, later, the $5 barrier), guaranteeing extremely widespread
use. It is also the first op-amp used (and destroyed) by the author. By
1969, op-amps were selling for around $2."

 

The 709 has some significant limitations such as requiring an external resistor and two external capacitors for compensation, and had no input over-voltage or output over-current protection. The 741 solved these problems including being the first op amp with internal compensation.

For a interesting story on the eccentric inventor of the 709 and most of the first practical analog ICs (Bob Widlar) read this.

 

It was believed that engineers would want to select their own compensation network, thus customizing the circuit to their needs. As the 741 proved, they were too lazy to do that.

 

It was believed that engineers would want to select their own compensation network, thus customizing the circuit to their needs. As the 741 proved, they were too lazy to do that.

That was not the main reason for going to internal compensation,
It was just that, before the 741, they didn't have the fabrication ability to put a large enough capacitor on the chip for internal compensation.
And saving external parts in a design is not a matter of laziness.

 

For a interesting story on the eccentric inventor of the 709 and most of the first practical analog ICs (Bob Widlar) read this.

... and here ...

http://electronicdesign.com/analog/what-s-all-widlar-stuff-anyhow

I have heard a story of Bob Widlar presenting a paper at a semiconductor convention giving the many reasons that a power voltage regulator could not be done. After his talk the other IC designers left believing that if Widlar said it couldn't be done then it couldn't be done. Not long after that a Widlar-designed power voltage regulator was released to the market.

Here is a version of the story written by another giant of the industries early days -- Jim Williams.

http://readingjimwilliams.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-favorite-widlar-story.html

 

That was not the main reason for going to internal compensation,
It was just that, before the 741, they didn't have the fabrication ability to put a large enough capacitor on the chip for internal compensation.
And saving external parts in a design is not a matter of laziness.

The LM101 was introduced in 1967 as a fully integrated, externally compensated op amp. But the 741 became dominant because of its "ease of use". The 101 was recast as a hybrid with the 30pf capacitor included, but it was too little too late.

 

those number series were back when people thought it might be good to have a standard marking system. 74 series chips are functionally identical to 54 series, the 54 series had better heat tolerance and such. DTL and RTL series are pretty much dead now. the linear series also started with standardized numbers, tghen prefixeds were added to specify manufacturer then the europeans started up their own series numbers, and a good idea went awsy. like a UPd780C-1 is the same as a Z80-a. and a lot of other numbers for identical things.

 

TTL parts were first built by Sylvania but TI started building them also and soon became the dominant supplier for the part.
Sylvania was one of the big names in electronics back then but sadly is no more (except for the brand name) along with other companies that were very large at the time, such as RCA (who developed the NTSC color television system no less), Motorola, Raytheon, etc.