SouthWest Organizing Project – Tierra del Soul: Fiestas de Chile y Arte
Auction Ends: Sep 30, 2013 10:00 PM MDT

Antiques

1870's era Wood, Wall-Mounted "Coffin" Antique Telephone

Item Number
180
Estimated Value
200 USD
Sold
68 USD to nycounsel
Number of Bids
7  -  Bid History

Live Event Item

After the online close, this item went to a Live Event for further bidding. Absentee Bidding offered.

Item Description

Antique phones are a reminder of a bygone era. Wood, wall-mounted “coffin” telephones were the first phones put into wide circulation, around 1879. Typically tall and bulky, they needed several compartments to hold the batteries and magneto (a hand cranked generator to signal an operator who actually placed the call). The coffin telephone, made from 1879 on, used the Watson polarizing ringing system. There was a magneto crank on the outside of the box, which sparked the mechanism inside the phone. There were also two call bells on the top, with an automatic switch hook below the crank to transfer between talking and calling. This phone ran on a Blake transmitter and a wet-cell battery.

Own a piece of history today and support SWOP at the same time.

 

Item Special Note

*Thank you Shirley Gallegos for this donation.

*If out of town, winning bidder will be responsible for the cost of shipping this item.

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