My oldest AE80 yet

[AE_Collector]

Delayed reaction but clicking your heels seens to have worked! Sorry, I've been at the cabin for 5 days now as we finally saw some unseasonably warm weather here on the "Wet Coast!" No internet here other than being conservative with my cell phone data.

Nice phone Benny. It has aspects that confuse me though. I run into this every so often where date codes virtually don't make sense as I have been decoding them. With GN on the base and both capsules and SN in the ringer condenser the match is good. Most often the first letter is month so April and September give or take. But N as the year is 1945...not possible. The year code rolled over to begin at A again in 1958 do it then could also be 1971...again not possible. I have encountered certain assembly line codes (the number on the base with the two letters) that frequently seem as though the two date letters were stamped in reverse as though the machine on that line that did the stamping was set up backwards. So if G were the year it would be 1964 which is possible for a black 80. There didn't seem to be much change in the black 80's for several years once they got past the very initial ones with 3" dials with an additional number/letter ring around the perimeter. Coloured 80's got the early clear plastic finger wheel with chrome number ring but black 80's kept the metal finger wheel for a long time.

The AE stamp on the base shows Chicago 7 putting it from between 1943 and 1958 but I think I have seen other examples that failed to change to Northlake with the move in 1958.

Does it have the potted network inside Benny? Sometimes they have a date code on them and sometimes the dial does as well.

Looks like a 50's phone but it could be into the early 60's. Ringer is old as it has the brass volume wheel that very quickly became white plastic yet the condenser date code doesn't add up. With this one if I saw no pictures and you listed the cides fir me I would have said 1971.

Terry

[AE_Collector]

I have seen the occasional AE phone that seemed to be redated. I think AE used these date codes like warranty date codes which makes me wonder if a phone were sent back to AE for remanufacturing, might they have at least redated the base? They may have replaced capsules as well and possibly condensers? Just wondering if this could lead to a 1950's phone looking like a 1971 phone if refurbished by AE. Unlike the way WE redated phones when they refurbished them, I haven't seen many AE phones that were systematically redated but I don't believe that AE was involved in the remanufacturing process of their phones anywhere near to the extent that WE was.

Terry

[Pourme]

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Thanks for looking Terry...Hope you are having a good time!

Here are more pics of the insides. There are some numbers on the dial, I didn't see any additional numbers.

Would there be anything on the cardboard card attached to the body that would tell you anything?

[rdelius]

That is the earlier dial mount with screws . Are you mossing the metal part with a big hole that the dial mounts to? it is held in place under spring pressure and locked down with screws

[Pourme]

That is the earlier dial mount with screws . Are you mossing the metal part with a big hole that the dial mounts to? it is held in place under spring pressure and locked down with screws

No it's there, I didn't get it in the picture...This thing is built like a tank....

[Devansphones]

Looks like one of mine. No idea of the date on mine.... It sits in a drawer, smells of mold/mildew. I have no idea how to properly clean it. Nice find!

[AE_Collector]

Would there be anything on the cardboard card attached to the body that would tell you anything?

I've never seen any of the date codes on the paper schematic cards inside these early 80's. As Robby said, things like the plastic Dial and hook pileup covers point at it being an early model, pre 1960 or so but 8n this case the date codes don't really add up. In any event everything about it says it is within the first 5 years or so, 1954-1959.

Terry

[Pourme]

Thanks Terry & Robby for for your input and knowledge....

I appreciate your time!

Benny