Brown coating on candlestick receiver.

[Russ Kirk]

I just picked up my 10th candlestick - a WE 50AL with a 2AB dial and stared 337 transmitter.  

I have a couple questions about the receiver.
The Bakelite receiver looks almost exactly like a WE 143 and is coated with a strange substance.
The marking on the cap is hard to read but I think is says:
PROPERTY OF AMERICAN TELEPHONE   (unreadable)   APH CO
It reminds of the vulcanite coating on my Peel Conner English candlestick but the color and texture is different

Please take a look at the photos and let me know:
Is this something I should leave in place?
Is it original?
Why did they do it?
Is it special or common?

How do clean the gunk off the transmitter so it is readable?

[Jim Stettler]

I have had a receiver like that. I think it is early, I traded mine away to an "early" phone collector.

. I would leave it as it is. You can always change the receiver later.
JMO,
Jim

[Phonesrfun]

Early receiver shells were not made of bakelite, but rather "hard" rubber.  Yours may be one of those.  I am not sure what to do about it.

[rdelius]

The British receivers had a hard rubber coating over a  brass shell. Some WE shells were solid hard rubber. Both can oxidise and turn brownish-green. Rub them and they smell. You can polish them back to black.very fine steel wool or fine sandpaper will remove the film.It should polish nicely
Robby