Was this a 4J Dial??

[Doug Rose]

I asked the seller for a pic of the dial and the phone has been pulled back. Maybe the elusive...for me....4J dial?....Doug

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201217518853

[unbeldi]

Why would you think so?
The phone was most likely painted and refurbished as a Continental in 1955, and has a 5J dial. The finger wheel mounting star is typical of the early 50s 5Js.  The finger wheel is wrong, it belongs onto a No. 8 or 9 or later dial.

4J dials had stainless steel finger wheels.

[Doug Rose]

I have seen 4J dials with the thick clear finger wheel so I was hoping. 4J has been a dial I have wanted for some time now. I realized that was the wrong finger wheel.  Moot point as the seller ended the auction.  In the off case it was not painted in 1955, I was hoping it might be old with a 4J. That is why I thought it might be so...Doug

[poplar1]

4J and 5J dials were announced for 1937. Both originally had stainless steel finger wheels and white cases. Thick clear finger wheels were introduced in late 1940 or early 1941 for 5J dials used on the new thermoplastic color 302s. By 1941, color 202s were available only on special order, until 1955, when Continentals and Imperials were made from used 202s.

Continentals, c. 1955-1956, could have 4J, 5J, or 6D dials. The ivory and pekin red Continentals usually had open center clear finger wheels, but not the thick 1941-1942 type with the X finger clamp. Most green Continentals had black cords and stainless steel finger wheels on 5J or 4J dials. (Fewer green Continentals had green cords and clear plastic finger wheels with 4J, 5J or 6D dials.)

So while 4J dials found on 1937 ivory 202s, and 5Js on ivory, old rose, red, green and blue 302s before 1941 had stainless steel finger wheels, it's not common to find stainless steel finger wheels on 4Js, except on original ivory 202s from 1937 only, or on (some) green Continentals with black cords. It seems even less likely to find a thick clear finger wheel used on any new or remanufactured phones after 1947.