This is a rare and unusual locking device designed especially for this
Western Electric dial candlestick. Depositing a nickel after lifting
the receiver results in the raising of the lever that locks the dial.
When the switchhook is pressed or the receiver is hung-up, the
lever is reset into the dial finger hole.
This early model coin telephone is called a 23D. It happens to be a Western Electric model. The “D” was probably a designation for the receiver. It was connected to the phone line like any other phone and was probably a “post pay” model where the operator would make the connection for you and then ask you to deposit the coins. There were a variety of models to fit a variety of needs and situations. This one is in 100% original condition.
This model of coin telephone was the 23J. The “J” probably was a designation for the handset (as opposed to the “D” for receiver). Though the basic construction of this model is very similar to the “D,” there are some differences. This happens to be an AE model with different coin slots, locks and keys, and hookswitch. This too is probably a post pay model where the operator collected for the call after the connection was made.
This is a model 20 Gray paystation designed to be attached
to a candlestick phone. This special model is seldom seen and
is totally original. The operator was able to hear the coins
drop even though there was no electrical connection between the
collector and the telephone line.
This is a rare and unusual coin collector known as the model 13-A.
There was only one coin slot but it accepted nickels, dimes, and
quarters. The internal mechanism detected which coin was deposited
and sounded a bell accordingly, one for a nickel, two for a dime, and
three for a quarter. Again, the operator was able to hear the sounds
without an electrical connection.
This is another rare dial locking device, designed for the Western
Electric dial candlestick. When the receiver is lifted, a nickel deposited
in the slot on the top left corner of the box, and the knob turned, the plunger
preventing the dial from turning was lifted up and back out of the way of the
dial. When the receiver was replaced, the plunger was dropped and locked in
the number 3 finger hole of the dial.
This rare dial locking device was made for this model of Western Electric
deskset. Lifting the handset, depositing a nickel, and pushing the plunger
resulted in the lifting of the finger-like device in number 5 of the dial. When
the handset was replaced, the finger-like device was dropped back into the dial.
These are rather nice examples of common three slot coin phones. The one on the left is a Western Electric model; the one in the middle is a less often seen ten button touchtone Automatic Electric type; and the one on the right is an AE model that has been converted to the earlier receiver/transmitter style. The touchtone model has a touchtone pad lock that prevents unauthorized use.
This is my favorite taking her turn standing alongside Ray Kotke’s “Traveling Gray” when it was in town in March. This set is perhaps the ultimate in coin collecting phones in that it accepts five different coins (silver dollars to nickels) and was used in Alaska during WWII where large coin hoppers were required to accommodate the large number of coins required for long distance calls made to the lower 48.
