10/11-53 Matching Date WE 444E 3 Line Phone

[TelePlay]

Could not pass up this phone sitting in an antique mall near Lake Michigan in north eastern Wisconsin. Seems to be an all original phone with dates from October and November 1953. Round buttons for 3 lines and one for hold functions. All 3 bulbs are in the phone. Nothing is missing except the line card and lens and the line cord. Dial card lens is also missing but the faded number on the finger wheel has the area code 414 which is correct for that area of Wiscosnin in 1953.

Dates found so far:

Base 11-53
Ringer 11-53
101A Coil IV-53
F1 Handset 10 3
Receiver 10-53
Transmitter 10-53
Shell 10-14-53 I

Did not have time to remove the dial but it seems is is original to the phone as well.

They were asking $17.50. Asked for and got 10% off  for missing lens. After adding 5% sales tax, the total to take it out the door came to a nice $16.54.

Defects: missing the line cord and line lens.
Pluses: Good price, no plastic cracks or deep scratches, number plate and finger wheel in good condition.

Should clean up nicely.

[unbeldi]

It was probably installed in Sheboygan.   Bell System territory, today served by Ameritech.

This is getting pretty close to the end of the 400-series in 1954 (?), they perhaps just got a brand spanking new 1A1 system installed (introduced in 1953).  The E/G types (manual/dial) are compatible with both 1A and 1A1.

[podor]

Nice find! It's a beauty!

[19and41]

Good deal!

[unbeldi]

The handset cord looks in fantastic shape.  What is the type and date on that?

H3AF or H3AR ?

[Dan/Panther]

I purchased one awhile back. The buttons were Black. The tenite has swollen so the buttons are stiff in their respective holes. Are the ones in yours loose ?
Did your come with the Line ROPE ? Not cord, Rope.
D/P

[unbeldi]

I purchased one awhile back. The buttons were Black. The tenite has swollen so the buttons are stiff in their respective holes. Are the ones in yours loose ?
Did your come with the Line ROPE ? Not cord, Rope.
D/P

I would think the Tenite has shrunk.

[TelePlay]

The handset cord looks in fantastic shape.  What is the type and date on that?

H3AF or H3AR ?

It is. No kinks, cuts reversed coils, paint or breaks. The retainer is stamped 5 | 5 and the other side has a roman number IV on the top line and H3AF below the numeral.  If this was a replaced handset cord, whomever replaced it did a marvelous job of loosening and tightening the mounting screws inside the phone and inside the handset without leaving any tool marks.

I purchased one awhile back. The buttons were Black. The tenite has swollen so the buttons are stiff in their respective holes. Are the ones in yours loose ?

Did your come with the Line ROPE ? Not cord, Rope.

When open, the clear buttons are very loose in their sockets. They move freely by touch or by gravity.

As for the line cord, the missing line cord, it is not there but the brass cord retainer with hook was left loose inside the phone. It has 3 lines of information stamped into it opposite the split:

5-6 
D18C
IV 53

[TelePlay]

When checking the handset cord dates and button movement, I realized the shell and base hardware are/were capable of being a 6 button phone. The red circles would be the additional 2 buttons and switch movements, the yellow circles for the lamps and the one green circle shows the D18C line cord retainer where it was found in the phone.

[unbeldi]

The handset cord looks in fantastic shape.  What is the type and date on that?

H3AF or H3AR ?

It is. No kinks, cuts reversed coils, paint or breaks. The retainer is stamped 5 | 5 and the other side has a roman number IV on the top line and H3AF below the numeral.  If this was a replaced handset cord, whomever replaced it did a marvelous job of loosening and tightening the mounting screws inside the phone and inside the handset without leaving any tool marks.

Thanks.
When using the correctly sized screw driver it should be no problem to not leave marks.

[unbeldi]

When checking the handset cord dates and button movement, I realized the shell and base hardware are/were capable of being a 6 button phone. The red circles would be the additional 2 buttons and switch movements, the yellow circles for the lamps and the one green circle shows the D18C line cord retainer where it was found in the phone.

The 561 Key had the same basic frame of the 562.  It was just less populated.

502-435-100: