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possible date for Princess 701B blue shell.

Started by Scott, March 24, 2019, 10:55:39 AM

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Scott

I've just acquired a blue 701B princess. The base does not have any printing on the bottom but the rubber pad goes all the way around the lamp socket area. The dial is dated 3-60 and the network is dated 2-60. So this seems to be a very early princess. My question has to do with the date of the shell and wondering if it is original. There are no dates on it, please see photos. This phone I am finding out has been pieced together from many other dated parts. It even has two different plungers. Does anyone have any thoughts as to this being a very early princess shell? Thank you Paul F. for your website as I look for information about various phones.

Scott K.

.....

Look like a faded stamp on the edge or is it a rub mark?

Scott

Thanks Duffy for the question and it is a rub mark. I checked it out with a magnifying glass and I could not find anything on either side that looks like a date stamp. I don't think I have any other princess shells with dates stamped on the edge. Was that a common practice early on?

Scott K.

paul-f

Quote from: Scott on March 24, 2019, 10:55:39 AM
I've just acquired a blue 701B princess. The base does not have any printing on the bottom but the rubber pad goes all the way around the lamp socket area. The dial is dated 3-60 and the network is dated 2-60. So this seems to be a very early princess. My question has to do with the date of the shell and wondering if it is original. There are no dates on it, please see photos. This phone I am finding out has been pieced together from many other dated parts. It even has two different plungers. Does anyone have any thoughts as to this being a very early princess shell? Thank you Paul F. for your website as I look for information about various phones.

You're welcome, Scott.

As I recall, early Princess housings had a date code (year) in a circle inside the housing, under a handset well.

Note the position of the mounting cord cutout on the back. To its left is the shape of a narrower and deeper potential cutout. This indicates the housing was made after September 1960. For details on why and how that was discovered, see the story, "The Princess and the Mounting Cord," in the August 2014 Singing Wires. It was a fun research project that led somewhere unexpected.
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

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Scott

#4
Thanks Paul F. That is the only way I have seen princess shells dated as well. Does anyone have any speculation as to why a shell would not have the date? The number 5 is the only mark inside the shell. I'm looking forward to reading your article!

Scott K.

rdelius


Scott

Thank you for the idea it is a Kellogg shell. I will look further into that when I get out again.

Regards,
Scott K.