i dont have a clue, do you?

[SamHegler]

i don't have a clue, do you?

i found this thing while detecting around a old home site from the 1890's or so. it is made of stamped brass or bronze with gold accents. it measures 3in x 2in and the slot measures 1/4in x 1 1/2in. the photo does not really do it justice as it is really pretty and looks like it was expensive when it was new. it weighs around an ounce or so and has 2 mounting holes for screws or nails.

 

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[SamHegler]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

Try these shots, i think you guy's are messing with me, it took me 20 min to find a way to stand this thing on it's end. just kidding, but it was a sobriety test to achieve these shots.

 

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[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

Great pics thanks. http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,259110.0.html I dont have any idea that helps but I can better visualize the item. Im thinking now the opening is too large for a coin slot.

 

[SamHegler]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

to get macro shots with my camera i have to shoot through a 15x magnifying lamp, kinda crazy but after i got the hang of it i can turn out some pretty good shots. this thing really is not very large at all the photos are misleading without a reference point. sorry about that, thanks for the help by the way and good luck racking your brain trying to Id it. Sam.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

This is the closest and widest coin slot I could find but sorry nothing for size comparison. I dont think a coin slot would be made of thin bendable metal.



We may need more clues. If you are really that interested, you could bring back the bakelite and tube base items for us to look at. Maybe a connection.

 

[TripletDad]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

I've restored several Victrolas and Console radio cases from the early 1900's, and it looks like a cabinet trim part, which may have housed a light or dial. The ones prior to the Art Deco period of the 20's and early 30's had fancy scrolling on them like that. Been looking thru online radio museums but haven't found a picture with any sort of detail that would show that, though. Might be a good place to start looking if you really want to track that down...

http://www.google.com/search?q="antique+radio+museum"&hl=en&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=&safe=images

 

[Breezie]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

Since the opening slot is only 1/4 inch tall and ornate, I think it is the coin vending portion of an antique Fortune Telling Machine. Neat find, Breezie

 

[GpSnoopy]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

I think I found it. Dial plates for the Grebe SYNCHROPHASE MU-1
http://www.radioblvd.com/Grebe Synchrophase.htm

 

[Breezie]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

What Snoopy found certainly looks like it, but with the slit being only 1/4 of an inch tall, the opening seems mighty small for a dial. Sam, can you re-measure the height of the opening again? Breezie

 

[GpSnoopy]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

This plate would have been one of the bottom plates, and they were just control dials for volume, tone color,etc. Only needed enough room for the dial to stick out and turn with your thumb.
The larger numbered index dials on top appear to have had bigger slots in their plates.
It appears to me that the design on the sides, and width of slot as compared to the design match's the OP's......

 

[Breezie]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

Nice ID Snoopy! Way to go, Breezie

 

[creskol]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

That is one heck of a nice ID Snoopy! Way to go!!

 

[GpSnoopy]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

I found the measurements for the radio, it was 9" tall. I then used my on-screen calipers to measure the height of the radio in the image. 9"= ~162 pixels. The bottom plate was ~38 pixels tall, and doing the math, the plate came out to ~2.1". Fairly close to what was found.

 

[wells]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

S O L V E D ?

 

[dozer dan]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

I'm kinda thinking that it is a flame view window for a,

furnace, boiler, stove or pilot light.

It would have had a glass or isinglass inserted into the back before it was installed.



Guess I shoulda read the last few posts before submitting this.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

{ For Comparison }

SamHegler's item is sized almost to exact based on the quarter. Plus I rotated it to match a close up image I found which is almost identical to the one GpSnoopy posted. I discovered that most of the "Grebe" radios from the 1920s have the same type of brass dial covers. I post this for proximity comparison and sizing and not identifying, which GpSnoopy has already done.

Good job Snoop Dog!

SBB

 

[SamHegler]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

Nice! thank you very much. Does that mean there are more of these things waiting to be found out there? i have some time this weekend maybe i'll have another look. when was your radio made? to all that posted answers and opions thanks and Happy New Year, i hope all your treasure hunting brings rich rewards, Sam.

 

[GpSnoopy]

Re: i don't have a clue, do you?

Nice! thank you very much. Does that mean there are more of these things waiting to be found out there? i have some time this weekend maybe i'll have another look. when was your radio made?

I concur with SodaBottle that a few more Grebe models used that same decorative plate, and from what I could find out, they were all produced around the same period of time. Grebe CR-18 (~1926) The link below also lists a Synchrophase 7, he has the wrong year and picture for it.

http://www.radioatticarchives.com/archive.htm?page=g1#Grebe

Synchrophase 7 (~1927)

Grebe Synchrophase Models MU-1 and MU-2 were made from mid August 1924 to September 1927 and Model 55 during a short period in 1928.
Made by A.H. Grebe & Company, Inc. of Richmond Hill, N.Y. USA
These radios were arguably the best TRF Battery Radios of the 1920s Jazz Age.

Possibility is there that you may find more pieces of the radio if it was dumped there. Not my radio, I just found some good articles online about it. The Grebe MU-1/MU-2 used the same cabinet throughout their production and just kept updating the circuitry. They were manufactured between 1924 and 1927. The Synchrophase model 55 appeared near the end of 1927/early 1928, but very few were produced, apparently. It had only one main tuning dial, but did use the same decorative plates.

There was a Syncrhophase 7 produced around the same time, but did not use these plates.

http://www.radioblvd.com/Grebe Synchrophase.htm