Party line dial plate.

[Doug Rose]

 Nice sani Dial finger wheel but the party line dial plate look like a stick on. Nice dial card, went for $80

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WESTERN-ELECTRIC-302-1939-MODEL-matching-dates-works-perfectly-/283769722103?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=uI2w%252BNv%252B7e%252BJIHGNH6rxLV0VVLo%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

[Vern P]

I do not know what this is, but I do have some new over lays of this party line face.
Vern

[Jack Ryan]

Nice combination and looks good but unlikely to be original.

The number plate does look like an overlay (reproduction) and the dial card is for a party line telephone. I think the chances of finding a party line dial with a E plate (implying multiple exchanges, some of which are manual with party lines) are remote enough. The chances of finding a code ringing auto party line telephone in a mix of auto and manual exchanges with party lines is about zero.

A community with multiple exchanges will be urban and fairly large. Not the environment where auto code ringing party lines would be found.

Also, the Sani-Dial is a third party product and I think unlikely to be found in what looks like Bell territory.

But that's just my opinion.

Jack

[Doug Rose]

Jack...what about this beauty?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=23255.msg233618#msg233618

[Jack Ryan]

Jack...what about this beauty?

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=23255.msg233618#msg233618

Well, the number plate doesn't look right but I am not there to kick the tyres so it is hard to be definitive.

Compared to what is attached, the text doesn't look right.
The second attachment is also correct but the dial card is not - it is for a party line.

My previous post was more about the the sum of the parts - the number plate is not Bell, the number card is for a party line which is not correct and the number plate may not be right but the resolution is too low so it is hard to tell.

Regards
Jack

[Doug Rose]

I think the chances of finding a party line dial with a E plate (implying multiple exchanges, some of which are manual with party lines) are remote enough. The chances of finding a code ringing auto party line telephone in a mix of auto and manual exchanges with party lines is about zero.

Jack....Zero?  I bought this from seller who said it was in their grandparents house. 2AE with original matching dial card. This phone was lovingly brought back by new owner Steve Cole.

I do humbly disagree with Zero. The is 100% WE, untouched until I sent it to Steve.....Doug

[Jack Ryan]

Jack....Zero?  I bought this from seller who said it was in their grandparents house. 2AE with original matching dial card. This phone was lovingly brought back by new owner Steve Cole.

I do humbly disagree with Zero. The is 100% WE, untouched until I sent it to Steve.....Doug

Sellers say lots of things - sometimes they think it is true.

How often were E plates used? Not often and they were transitional only.
How often did Bell use code ringing party lines in an urban auto exchange? Only on 4+ party line services.
How often did Bell fit non-standard third party parts to their telephones? Pretty close to never.

The chance of finding all of those on one phone is very low but not impossible.

However, the number plate is not Bell (WE) so the phone can never be 100% WE.

You are welcome, of course, to have a different opinion.

Regards
Jack

[Babybearjs]

I picked a few of these dial faces up from OPW. was restoring some old 302's and they really made the phones look neat... I like using unique parts when I have the chance.

[Doug Rose]

Jack...yes agreed sellers say a lot of things, this was a CL find and I met the couple and talked to them for close to an hour. I am old, they were older.

No sure why you don't think this is a WE dial plate but I respect your opinion.

Pics enclosed of how it was found...Doug

[Desert Phone Guy]

I agree with Doug that this is an original dial plate.  Since I own the phone now, I took off the plate and made a couple of photos.

Also, attached are front and back photos of the number card that came with the phone.

As a 50 year collector, I feel confident that the the phone is original.

Steve Cole

[Doug Rose]

Steve...let's see what Jack thinks. I have no idea why he thinks the dial plate is not a WE.

I thought the matching 2AE dial plate and dial card made this such a winner, even before you did your magic on it. Cords were shot, MP was missing and the cap off the receiver. It was filthy. This was not a sellers upgrade.  I still think this was unmolested since the grandparents got it.

Tis a beauty ..Doug

[Jack Ryan]

No sure why you don't think this is a WE dial plate but I respect your opinion.

Doug,

I can't be definitive on the candlestick E plate because I am looking at a picture via a monitor. What I see may be artefacts of compression.

Here is a closeup of the 2 & 3 - there is a ghost that should not be present. Do you see it looking at the dial directly?

All I can say is that what I see is not right. But I am not looking at the dial itself.

Regards
Jack

[Desert Phone Guy]

Well, I have to say that Jack makes a good point on the ghosting.  Thing is, this dial was filthy when I got it (no offense Doug).  It has all the characteristics of a correct number plate, the 132E stamp in the back, the wear around the edges, and even the letters and digits show comparable wear. 

Even if the face was redone, I  believe that it was done decades ago.

I have attached photos of another 2AE number plate that I have for reference.

I still believe the dial is old and original.. Just don't know the complete pedigree....  Anyways, at the end of the day I like it and am happy with it.

[Jack Ryan]

Steve...let's see what Jack thinks. I have no idea why he thinks the dial plate is not a WE.

The focus of my posts was not actually the number plate but the combination of the party line E plate and the party line dial card.

I have that plate on a candlestick and several pictures of other E plates - none have ghosting around the digits. No other WE plates have ghosting either.

The effect might be an artefact created by lossy compression but I see the new photograph has the same artefacts.

I thought the matching 2AE dial plate and dial card made this such a winner.

That combination (the original post) is possible but (normally) highly unlikely - perhaps you should buy a lottery ticket.

I am, by default, sceptical as there are far too many nickel/chrome plated 20ALs, left handed telephones presented as original or handed down from the original owner to be otherwise.

What you have is a very rare combination (the original post) but confidence in its originality is lost because of the Sani-dial plate.

Regards
Jack

[Jack Ryan]

Well, I have to say that Jack makes a good point on the ghosting.  Thing is, this dial was filthy when I got it (no offense Doug).  It has all the characteristics of a correct number plate, the 132E stamp in the back, the wear around the edges, and even the letters and digits show comparable wear. 

Even if the face was redone, I  believe that it was done decades ago.

I have attached photos of another 2AE number plate that I have for reference.

I still believe the dial is old and original.. Just don't know the complete pedigree....  Anyways, at the end of the day I like it and am happy with it.

It looks like an original plate - perhaps it has been redone.

I do not know how WE would have touched up a number plate or how it would appear.

Regards
Jack