Earliest center-hole handset cap?

[WEBellSystemChristian]

I found this on a 1960 Turquoise Princess. It's dated December 1959, but I thought the center-hole practice started in January 1960?

[WEBellSystemChristian]

Ironically, the transmitter cap is dated January 1960, but doesn't have a center hole!

[unbeldi]

Well, that's why the word "exception" exists, lol.

Well, those two could mean 12-31 and 1-1, someone forgot to change the stamp, or they pre-made some batches, or they found a pallet of older parts in January... and we don't know exactly when they actually marked their parts.
We have to realize that these dates that we state are from a very tiny sample that is left today from the millions of parts manufactured in even a single year.


Those look more like aqua blue, btw.

[poplar1]

Here are two more 1960 Princess sets with mismatched caps:
1-60 with no center hole in xmtr. cap
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Old-Stock-Western-Electric-Rose-Pink-Rotary-701-B-Princess-Phone/222233056704

6-60 with no center hole in rec. cap
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Electric-Princess-701B-Pink-1960-Telephone-Phone-/252545960879

[unbeldi]

One of them is a reconditioned unit, so it is not surprising that the components are mixed close to the cut over.

The early one had the lettering of Princess in black too!
I don't remember seeing that before.  I have to check my 12-59 pink one, of which I don't have pics, but none of the 1960-made ones have it.

[poplar1]

I saw that the 1-60 is in a C-stock box; however, there are no remanufacture dates on the phone itself. Sometimes, WE service center did redistribute returned items that were still new, according to my friend Bill Baggett who worked in the Altanta shop for 30 years. So it is possible that this set has not been modified. In any case, the even later 6-60 set also shows no refurb dates.

[WEBellSystemChristian]

The Princess with the caps I posted pictures of is dated 3-60 on the base, and has an ink "Princess" marking.