The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Adamp1gramophone wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 6:08 am I actually won the coin-op you linked from that auction! It came with many repro parts, including the soundbox. I’ve spent a lot of time finding original parts since the auction! I did a joint post with David Lundin in the APS magazine a couple of issues back.

The repro soundbox did have K19985. I still have it, which means at least 2 exist! I never found any extra information on these, other than what has already been noted here! I’ve added an image of my example with the serial number visible.

Thank you so very much for your reply and the really interesting information and photograph.

I really like the gramophone you purchased by the way !

I note that your 'K' sound-box seems to have been made slightly differently to mine but the way in which the letter 'K' and number is stamped seems to indicate that the same stamping tool was used maybe ?

I wonder if the reverse of your 'K' sound-box is stamped in the same way as mine, with no 'commas' after each country for example (which originals normally have maybe ?) and (what seem to me) to be unusual letter shapes - like the letter 'G' on mine ?

Anyway, once again thank you so very much - it is good to know that there are at least 2 of these !

poodling around wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 7:07 am ...the way in which the letter 'K' and number is stamped seems to indicate that the same stamping tool was used maybe ?

I believe the "K" reproductions are machine engraved and not stamped. It would account for the "thick" characters.

JerryVan wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 7:51 am

poodling around wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 7:07 am ...the way in which the letter 'K' and number is stamped seems to indicate that the same stamping tool was used maybe ?

I believe the "K" reproductions are machine engraved and not stamped. It would account for the "thick" characters.

Yes indeed you can see the difference clearly in Adams excellent picture.

JerryVan wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 7:51 am

poodling around wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 7:07 am ...the way in which the letter 'K' and number is stamped seems to indicate that the same stamping tool was used maybe ?

I believe the "K" reproductions are machine engraved and not stamped. It would account for the "thick" characters.

Very interesting indeed.

I am unsure as to what 'machine engraved' means to be honest.

I guess it means that the piece of metal was stationary / held in place and an engraving tool was programmed to move around it and make the 'K' number ?

This might infer that many of these reproduction sound-boxes were made in a 'batch', so to speak, as it would be a lot of effort to go through to make just two sound-box fronts maybe ? Or is setting up such an engraving machine for this sort of task fairly quick and easy ?

poodling around wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2026 9:12 am
I guess it means that the piece of metal was stationary / held in place and an engraving tool was programmed to move around it and make the 'K' number ?

This might infer that many of these reproduction sound-boxes were made in a 'batch', so to speak, as it would be a lot of effort to go through to make just two sound-box fronts maybe ? Or is setting up such an engraving machine for this sort of task fairly quick and easy ?

Basically, "yes". It could either be done on a programmable CNC machine, with a rotating cutter, or a manual pantograph style engraver, as a jeweler might use.