Edison Gem Model C - Pinstriping......end-gate?

[US PHONO]

Of course the Gem Model C did not have an end-gate. The model C's were a reaction - as I read - to a patent court case in 1908 and were designed and released rapidly onto the market. I have seen 2 different types of pinstriping - as you can see in the photo's:

- in the upper photo the striping on the base plate, right side above the start lever, merely are parallel lines that converge together at the corner as if they were planning to go around an end-gate

- wheras in the lower photo, the design is like a model D

If I were to speculate I would think that the design department were working ahead of schedule?

Does anyone have a more concrete insight?

[US PHONO]

here a better close-up - apologies for the dust!

[rgordon939]

I've never seen a Gem Model-C with that type of pinstriping in the corners. Here is a picture of my Model-C with the normal pinstriping. Has anyone else seen one like yours?

Rich Gordon

[Fonotone]

I've never seen a Gem Model-C with that type of pinstriping in the corners. Here is a picture of my Model-C with the normal pinstriping. Has anyone else seen one like yours?

Rich Gordon

I've had at least two. See pics. One had the large mandrel pulley (no. 2), another had the small pulley (no. 1).

[rgordon939]

Very nice machines. Are the serial numbers low or high?

Rich Gordon

[gramophone78]

I wonder if this is an Edison-Bell version....

[Fonotone]

Very nice machines. Are the serial numbers low or high?

Rich Gordon

The serial number of the small pulley machine was 299960. I don't have any record of the other machine's SN, and they're both gone now.

[phonojim]

My Gem C has the fancy pinstriping at the right front corner. I, too have never seen one without it. Could the ones with plain striping be very early production? My serial # is 333055C. Perhaps others could post serial numbers of their Gem Cs in hopes of our establishing a trend. Does anyone know where the Gem C serial numbers began?

Jim

[US PHONO]

My Gem C the corner pictured above with the parallel pin striping, has a small pulley and serial number 301953