Could this be a Med Blue?

[wds]

Seller relented and posted the interior shots.

[poplar1]

I asked the seller to open the phone and take a picture, and he won't.  Too bad - that's my birthday phone!

I doubt it's all matching dates.  The dial has been updated. 

When refurbishing, did they always replace the entire dial, or might they just replace the color face plate and leave the original dial in place?   It seems like I've seen that, but not sure.

Many times they just changed the color of the faceplate. That's why you often see a color code stamped on the back of the dial that doesn't match the current number plate.

I believe that LME was correct that on this particular phone, the dial has been replaced: It appears to be a 9C dial*, which means it is about 9-19 years newer than the 1956 manufacture date of the phone.  So either the dial was replaced in the field, or the phone was again rebuilt in the WE shop without any new dates stamped on the base.  The way the dial wires are dressed also suggests a field replacement.

*9C: skinny wires, larger finger stop screw, solid center finger wheel, protective cover does not hide the soldered connections, narrow opening for finger stop.

[JorgeAmely]

Let the sanding begin. Maybe it is the less sticky acrylic paint and not Polane.

[AE40FAN]

Only the handset is med blue.  It may also just be the one cap.  I was right about the body being aqua or turquoise.  Happy Bidding!!

[AE_Collector]

The last picture above makes the housing look dark blue as well but unless there is lots of light blue overspray in the first picture, the first picture has the better lighting so probably not a dark blue housing?

Terry

[Dennis Markham]

The housing looks Dark Blue on my monitor, especially near the back.  If it's NOT Polane, then Easy Off oven cleaner will remove the paint.

[AE_Collector]

Yes when you look at the shadows behind the ribs it looks to me like lots of light blue overspray on something darker. I would guess a matching dark blue housing.

Terry

[AE40FAN]

If the housing was painted then wouldn't the stamp dated on the front end of the housing be painted over?  Then again, on closer inspection it does look like it could actually be the same as the handset...

[LarryInMichigan]

I do not believe that there would be any date stamp visible in the shell if it had been painted.  It almost looks like someone sprayed a bit of dark blue paint into the rear part of the shell.

Larry

[ESalter]

From what I see, I'd bet the bank that shell is dark blue.  Look at the locating fingers at the end of the ribs where the base frame would rub on the plastic.  Looks dark to me there as well as around the brass threaded inserts.

---Eric

[LarryInMichigan]

From what I see, I'd bet the bank that shell is dark blue.  Look at the locating fingers at the end of the ribs where the base frame would rub on the plastic.  Looks dark to me there as well as around the brass threaded inserts.

---Eric

How can the date stamp be explained then?

Larry

[AE_Collector]

I can't see a date stamp in the above pics. Which one? Overspray wouldn't be very heavy, is it just showing through?

Terry

[Dennis Markham]

Larry, I've had a couple of housings that were painted.  Because that date stamp is kind of raised due to the thickness of the paint or whatever they dated them with, over-spray may cover the original color of the date stamp, but usually one can still see the raised date through the over-spray.  That may or may not be the case here.

[wds]

Isn't that a date stamp on the front end of the housing?  Looks like white numbers/letters, but I can't read them.

[AE40FAN]

I'm on the fence with this one.   I guess only one way to find out.  Hopefully, whoever wins this is a forum member and they post updates.