1913 Western Electric Candlestick

[allnumbedup]

I don't think this candlestick was posted on ebay very long when it sold best offer <$125 while I was asking questions of the seller. I think it looks authentic to me from the 'neck down' maybe having a #2 dial but I thought the transmitter tag of "Western Electric Company Pat.in USA 1-14-1913" without grommets seemed wrong and it has a tell tale 'refurb' dial card.  The seller listed it as from his grandmothers estate, messaged me that there was writing on the dial including "sept 1921" and on the back of the transmitter was marked "6c-1". He was not able to answer if the back of the cup was marked "1910," if the dial plate was notched or about how the fingerstop was attached.....then it sold:

www.ebay.com/itm/126097865423

[SUnset2]

Most of the phone looks authentic to me, but the banana tag on the transmitter looks fake. Maybe someone put a reproduction transmitter on an otherwise original phone. Unfortunately, the photos are not good. Anyway, it's gone now.

[loblolly986]

"Brassed-out" transmitter tags in general are another tell-tale indicator a phone has been altered.

Examples of fake candlesticks with the same tag are pictured at http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?msg=160286 and http://web.archive.org/web/20220319230113/http://oldphoneman.com/Fakes.htm (scroll down to the tag section).

Also note the oddly pitted-looking mouthpiece.

If you look carefully at the photos, the dial is indeed a #2 with an externally-mounted finger stop and exterior markings. Doesn't seem like a bad deal considering the value of the parts.