Interesting AT&T sign

[Sargeguy]

A interesting AT&T sign recently sold on eBay:



American Telephone & Telegraph Sign


AT first glance this looked like a typical repro that is commonplace on eBay.



Upon closer look it is actually an 18x18 flanged two sided sign, which is not known (to me at least) to be faked.



The sign has signs of damage consistent with what is typical of a sign this old. 



There are some odd features however, the flange looks a little narrow and there ins a maker's mark "ING-RICH BEAVER FALLS PENNA ..." on both sides.  I have never seen a maker's mark on a 1908, or subsequent, bell system sign.  Earlier signs had a variety of marks but they were all stamped in ink.


Typical AT&T logo on a 16x16" flanged sign


The odd sign

The pattern of the sign is unusual because AT&T 18x18 flanges always have a white square border.  This pattern is used on some 18" flanges, but these always feature the name of a small telco on a white field at the bottom of the sign.  Such signs range in size from 18x21 to 18x24 depending on the length of the telcos' names.



Example of one of the signs described above from Bob Alexander's A Collector's Guide to Antique Telephone Advertising

[HarrySmith]

Cool! Is it yours now?

[Sargeguy]

Cool! Is it yours now?

Yep.

[HarrySmith]

Nice! I think that was a good buy for an unusual sign in that great condition. Congrats!

[Sargeguy]

Here is a similar sign just posted by the same seller, this one is from Michigan Bell: 

[Sargeguy]

The sign arrived today-it is definitely real.  The flange is narrower than on my other AT&T flanged sign by about 1/4".  The sign I was comparing it to was only 16"x16", not 18x18 so it threw the proportions off.