News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Very RARE 1st week of May, 1965 all-original Northern Electric 500-pictures

Started by 1954NE500, July 06, 2010, 03:37:38 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

1954NE500

I just got a very rare 1st week of May of 1965 Northern Electric 500, all-original in beige. The latest date is 4-30-65 on the receiver element in the G3 handset.
In the attached pictures, you will see Northern Electric's markings for the 500-series phones as well for the mid-1960's. These pictures were taken from eBay, where I got the phone. The dial, as well as the transmitter element in the receiver all have April, 1965 dates with early, 1965 dates on the rest of the phone parts. This is also one of the earliest NE 500's I have yet seen with the small, round neoprene feet.
The date code for early, 1965 is also seen in the following pictures. This is a very late-run 500 with an open/soft center plastic finger wheel on the dial.

Kenny C

In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

McHeath

This is a nice phone, and it has some interesting differences from WE 500s of the time.  The color looks to have some yellowing but it can probably be brought back.  The mixture of old time elements such as the soft center fingerwheel combined with the newer elements like an anodized base plate make this phone unique to me. 

1954NE500

Yes, a 1965 Northern Electric beige 500 in all-original condition is very much more rare than a 1965 Western Electric beige 500 in all-original condition. This is largely due to Bell Canada's tight hold on it's rental phones and that you had to rent a Bell Canada phone right up until a February 12, 1996 court ruling in Canada's courts breaking up Bell Canada's phone monopoly in Ontario and Quebec. Bell Canada finally ceased it's rental program for good January 1st, 1998.
Yes, this May, 1965 NE 500 is very unique indeed with 1964-69 being transition years for colored NE 500's in Canada first with the shedding of the larger, round ribbed neoprene feet in very late 1964 or very early 1965 with the "operator" text disappearing under the "0" in mid to late 1965 as I have a green late '65 NE 500 that proves this very observation with finally, in very late 1965 or very early 1966, the soft/open center finger wheel being replaced with the now more familiar closed center finger wheel w/the 7-series dial finally being replaced by a 9-series dial in early 1969.
On the black Northern Electric 500's, the switch to an unpainted metal bottom first was in 1960, next with the larger, round ribbed neoprene feet fist appearing in mid-1962 to be finally replaced again in very late 1964 or very early 1965 with the small, round neoprene feet. Finally, at last, in very late 1968 or very early 1969, the black steel finger wheels on the black NE 500's were replaced with the now-familiar closed-center clear plastic finger wheels and a 9-series dial  as well.
I have a 1968 black NE 500 with a steel, black finger wheel as well.
As you can see, Northern Electric was a little different actually being the first to do away with the black-painted bottoms in 1960, but lagged behind in virtually every other aspect of the 500 in many cases while being right at the very same time with a few other changes WE made on the 500-series phones.
Also, on a side note, the bakelite G1 handsets disappeared from both black NE 500's and black NE 554's in mid to very late 1962 as well.