What's Wrong With This Picture?!

[martinola]

I agree with George, I think it's a factory mix-up. I've been keeping track of Standard serial #s for a while now and can say that a Standard with that serial # would be a Model B with a last patent date of Nov. 17, 1903. The last patent on this machine is Oct. 3, 1905. Standards got to that patent date at around serial # 400,000.

On the other hand, I know at least one instance where a well-known restorer (I'm not telling) put a Triumph plate on my Home model A. He thought I needed a plate to complete the machine, but I had just kept it back for plating. I returned the Triumph plate to him with my thanks. It was actually a very nice gesture. (To give him credit, he was really busy and he may have been working on a Triumph bedplate at the same time.) Anyway, it seems that mistakes are nothing new!

Martin

[SonnyPhono]

I agree with both of you. I spent a lot of time studying the tag very close, both on the top, and underneath where the tabs are bent over. I compared it to other Home models that I have, as well as other Standards. The way this ID tag has aged is identical in every way to every other piece of hardware on the machine. I will not remove it thanks to George's advice. I feel it is an authentic mistake and was purchased like this. I even took closeup pictures of the screws that mount the motor to the bed plate to look for any wear or signs of removal. They would need to be removed in order to put a new ID tag on a machine. They were mint. No marks or signs of ever being removed.



I also did some research on removing the ID tags and found the 99% of the time, one, or both of the tabs that are bent to hold it in place break off either during the removal or when re-bending them to fasten it to another machine. These are both intact and are clean with not hammer marks or other signs of something that was home made.

Here is a picture of one of the tabs.



Thanks for the help and please let me know if you can come up with any other examples or helpful information about this kind of thing.

[Valecnik]

A truly interesting find. I agree it was most probably a factory mistake.

I've had an Amberola V with two "Edison" script decals, one on each end of the lid and recently acquired an Amberola III with two decals, the script decal on the back and the fancy Amberola decal underneath. I know of a Victrola Vernis Martin with the decal applied upside down.

First time I've heard of an SN plate being improperly applied but I agree with others that you should not change it.

Great find!