1947 302 on eBay

[HarrySmith]

Does this seem strange to anyone besides me?
I dont recall date stamps inside the base of any 302 I have seen.
160451938324

[Doug Rose]

Harry...Every Western Electric 302 has a date in the front just like this from 1937 to the mid 50s. Northern Electric have a patent date in the back.....Doug

[Kenny C]

mine is stamped on the inside  next to the ringer 6-52-I

[JorgeAmely]

Harry:

You seen what I am seen? Same stamper used in both components?

[Kenny C]

mine is all dates matching except the dial and handset cord

[HarrySmith]

Jorge: thats what I am talking about!

[HarrySmith]

The inside of the base is very clean and shiny and the date stamp is perfect and exactly the same as the one on the ringer.
The date stamp on the shell is fine, but I have never seen one on the base like that, maybe I just have not had any good clean 302's yet.

[JorgeAmely]

Harry:

I haven't seen one until today with a letter (in this case "A") as part of the date code.

[Dan/Panther]

Here is a photo of a 1947 302 I restored and sold about 2 years ago.
D/P

[HarrySmith]

OK then. Stamped base with the "A". Guess I will be looking fo stamped bases.
Still your stamp looks to be spaced different from the stamp on the ringer. No dashes between the numbers also.
Maybe it's just me!

[Dan/Panther]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but seems I was told all parts of that era were made at the W.E. facility, and therefore stampings would quite possibly be the same appearance.
However that is the only "A" stamped 302 I've found, out of about 30.
D/P

[JorgeAmely]

D/P:

Looking at your picture now, I am starting to think that "A" means aluminum base. The follow picture belongs to a 302 with a steel base. No "A" on this one.

[Dan/Panther]

I think the "A"  could be (A) for aluminum, but why would the ringer be marked "A", it could go to an aluminum base, or a steel base.
D/P

[AE_Collector]

Were aluminum bases on 302's very common? Just a war time and soon after the war thing? ANy possibity that there actually was some slight variation to the ringer to use it on an aluminum base? Remember that ringers are working with magnetic fields and maybe the aluminum vs steel base that the ringer is mounted to required some other little adjustment to the ringer design for it to work perfectly rather than just work. Remember, we are talking WECo here....pretty good just isn't goood enough!

Terry

[Dennis Markham]

Here's what I think about the "A".

A = Atlanta
I = Indianapolis
S = Shreveport

There may be others. I was told or read or heard that those letters designated the plant in which the phone was manufactured.

Attached is just one that I've picked up that is marked with the "A".  I got this at a flea market back in March.