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Odd Markings

Started by xylenol15, July 14, 2012, 01:25:58 AM

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xylenol15

Enlighten me, forum! What do these markings mean; especially the stickers?

RotarDad

The yellow and white stamps are refurbishment stamps.  Although I'm not sure what the entire code means, I believe the R is refurb. and 867 is Aug '67 on the white stamp.  I've seen a lot of phones on Ebay with the Illinois Bell marking and they all seem to have been refurbed at least once by the phone company.  This one has 2 original leather feet and 2 round refurb feet.  Although dated '55 originally, this phone probably has many, and perhaps most, of its original parts replaced.  I can't see the stickers well in the picture, but most adhesive stickers I've seen are from the '80s.
Paul

xylenol15

Yeah, it's the stickers that I'm really puzzled by. The numbers are 316, 314, 322, 321 on the visible sticker.

LarryInMichigan

I grew up in Illinois Bell territory, and I think that all of their phones had that "Property of..." stamp on the bottom.

Larry

McHeath

Looks like 5 trips to the refurb shop, three ink stamps and the two stickers. 

What's the housing date?  It looks thicker like it's soft plastic.

I've a few Ill. Bell phones and they too have the big square stamp ownership mark on them. 

It's a funny quirk how some phone went back to the shop over and over, often within a short time period, and others went out once and never went back.  Guessing that has to do with the way people are, some are moving around a lot and others stay in one place.  I've one 500 phone dated 1954 that spent it's whole life in the same shop until I bought it a couple years ago.