Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Auction Talk => Topic started by: HarrySmith on August 10, 2012, 06:38:57 PM

Title: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: HarrySmith on August 10, 2012, 06:38:57 PM
My wonderful wife bought a table lot at auction last night because it had an old phone! She paid $22.00 for the whole table and before she left a couple of people approached her to buy some of the items. She sold 2 things for $5.00 each! Now we have a bunch of other stuff to sell on eBay, if we make $12.00 or more the phone will wnd up costing nothing! I was pleasantly surprised to find it is a 1951 500! Not all dates matching but base, shell and network are from 1951. It has the small solid black plungers, a G1 handset and the J/K designation. I think I have a ringer dated 51, the dial is dated 3/57, anyone got a 51 ringer they want to trade? I attached a couple of pics and have more in my Picassa album here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103483280648956762530/1951WE500# ( dead link 03-09-21 )
Title: Re: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: poplar1 on August 10, 2012, 06:53:22 PM
Harry,

It appears the J/K designation was added later so in fact this was originally a "500" (no letter) and not a 500K.

Anyone know the exact date they switched from "500" to "500J/K" for newly manufactured phones?
Title: Re: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: Dennis Markham on August 10, 2012, 07:06:07 PM
Paul F's site provides some information about the J/K here:

http://www.paul-f.com/we500typ.htm
Title: Re: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: paul-f on August 10, 2012, 07:38:51 PM
Quote from: poplar1 on August 10, 2012, 06:53:22 PM
It appears the J/K designation was added later so in fact this was originally a "500" (no letter) and not a 500K.

Anyone know the exact date they switched from "500" to "500J/K" for newly manufactured phones?

If you look closely, the original marking was T 500.

My Singing Wires article in February 2009 has more detail on the changes to the base stampings and model numbers.  TCI members can find it on-line in your member area.

I have yet to see a stamping for a 500K set that looks like it came from the factory.  All seem to be either 500 or 500T sets that had the J/K stamp added later -- usually in a different font.  This recoding apparently started in mid-1952.  By that time the 500D sets were pouring out of the factory.

The March 1951 date on the bottom of Harry's set is significant, as that is the month they moved the stamping from the front edge to the back, near the ringer adjustment.  (March sets have been found coded both ways.)

I hope you also find a nice 7A dial with early dial plate!
Title: Re: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: poplar1 on August 10, 2012, 07:46:06 PM
Paul, thanks for pointing out the T and for the expanded info. Is there any difference in a 500T and a 500K other than that as you said the Ks are conversions?
Title: Re: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: HarrySmith on August 10, 2012, 07:47:35 PM
You are right Paul. Obviously the J/K was added but I missed the "T" under the "J".
Title: Re: At Last, An Early 500!!
Post by: paul-f on August 10, 2012, 07:50:32 PM
There is no difference between a 500 T and K, other than the code stamped on the bottom.

It seems to have been a model number change to have all 500-series sets use the m/d format for manual and dial sets.  Previously, either 500 or 500 T sets could be either manual or dial -- potentially confusing.  

(The same coding was applied to 501 and 501 T sets, of course.)