A nice 302 without letters

[persido]

Was at the flea market up in Londonderry New Hampshire this morning, I came across this 302, I checked out all the dates and they match 1946. My question is why no letters on the dial plate and there are no letters or a name with in the telephone number. The phone is in great shape very minor scratches plugged it in and it works, I paid $40.

Thanks

[Gilas]

These are rural dials where the subscriber didn't have the need for letters.  It would also explain why there are no letters on your dial card. 

[poplar1]

You would dial 4 digits to reach another person in your exchange; possibly there were other nearby exchanges that could be dialed as well. Your phone number was only 4 digits long.

All numbers had to be standardized as NPA (area code) +2 letters/5 numbers or all numbers in order for DDD (direct distance dialing) to be implemented. This started in the 1950s. Many places, you could still dial 4 or 5 digits to reach someone in your exchange, even though your phone number was now 2 letters + 5 numbers or 7 numbers.

Often, you see a 302F such as this one with all numbers (150A) number plate, but with a number card with a name on it. Most likely, this was done by the seller or someone like him, because the user would not know what numbers to dial in order to reach the named exchange. This one looks legit.

[AE40FAN]

Fantastic shape and a great price!

[deedubya3800]

What great luck! That's a really nice phone, especially for the price. I got lucky and paid $35 (plus tax) for my regular (though, non-Bell) WE 302 at an antique mall in Memphis. That's more like what a run-of-the-mill '70-something 500 usually goes for!