Stromberg Carlson Raised Letter Transmitter Faceplate

[wds]

Does anyone know what time period, or which models of phones this raised letter transmitter was used?  I don't see this transmitter in the 1901 or 1905 catalogs, but it must have been used somewhere.  I did find it in a picture of a triplet, but no date.

[rdelius]

Watch out, these have been reproduced

[Russ Kirk]

Do the reproductions all have the same serial number?

[Fabius]

Watch out, these have been reproduced

Yes they have. This was a recent discussion on the ATCA list server. All the fakes have the same serial number. I'll try to track that number down.

[dencins]

The embossed transmitter was used on S-C Oilcans 1900-1905 per this site

http://www.phonemandave.net/stromberg.htm

Not sure what other phones it may have been used.

The reproduced face plate has number 762340 according to a post on the TCI forum from John Infurna.

Dennis Hallworth

[wds]

Great information.  I've seem pictures like the ones from Phonemandave with the raised letter transmitter, but I haven't seen any literature from S.C. showing any of the oil cans with that transmitter.  I wonder if people just added those transmitter because they look nice. 

[Pourme]

Is there a online data bank you can trace one of these serial numbers on? I have searched and can't locate one. Or info on what year production a particular number was used? My particular number has a "+" sign after the six digit number. What could that reference?

[Stubbypylon]

The 1901 catalog shows the earlier smaller indented letter transmitter on the first version of the oil can with the ball type perch.  There were three versions of the oil can.  As you noted the raised letter transmitter was shown in the 1905 catalog on a triplet.  It was also found on the Stromberg "Kansas City" stick.  The 1905 catalog also shows the later 7B transmitter that has no letters - only numbers.  So I would think that it would make sense to find the raised letter transmitter on the last version of the oil can.

[wds]

Here is a SC ad for the Kansas City model showing the raised letter transmitter (4-A).  That makes two telephones that the raised letter transmitter can be traced back to.

I have several of these raised letter transmitters, but one of them looks like a very early version which came off of a wood wall phone.  Here are some pictures of the early version (left) and the more common version (right).  Notice on the earlier version the thicker faceplate.  Loosen the two screws on either side of the bridge and the entire assembly pops out.   Quite an unusual transmitter.

[Pourme]

Mine on my candlestick looks like your older one. (although the insides of mine is long gone) I assume the sr# is an indication of the age. I wish there was a data bank that would tell us something about the phone it was used on. I'm sure that's too much to ask of a 100+ year old company.