BC-34 Packing Slip - Decipher?

[fran604g]

Based on the later record storage door on that S-19, and the serial number of the BC-34, it looks like we're a couple of years too low...

HOLY COW!

I just checked my copy of Frow's Edison Disc Phonographs, and on page 184 is the production schedule for the BC-34 through January 1925! From this, it's clear that BC-34 No.50393 was packed in December 1924! Extrapolating from this, we theoretically have the following year code key:

1919: "O"
1920: "P"
1921: "Q"
1922: "R"
1923: "S"
1924: "T"
1925: "U"
1926: "V"
1927: "W"
1928: "X"
1929: "Y"

If this is correct, Bruce's C-19 was packed on November 5, 1919; the S-19 in the original thread was packed on August 30, 1922; and as suggested above, BC-34 was packed in December 1924 (the number of the day having either been discontinued by then, or overlooked in this instance).

Of course, all this is based upon a tiny sample of three (plus the BC-34 production figures which is a REAL break). Does anyone have a packing slip with a month code greater than "M" or a year code that (according to our provisional list above) does not correlate to known production years? If we can't pick a hole in this provisional key, we might be onto something.

George P.

A very interesting topic!

George, your extrapolation makes complete sense and appears to fit nicely into my C250/C19 research with other slips that I've noted recently. I wonder if we could get a Diamond Disc Phonograph Packing Slip Database "sticky" out of this topic in the hopes of creating a database for precisely dating more DD Phonograph models? This would be a fantastic way to date the serial numbers of many different DD Phonographs!

I think, I'll start a new post...

Best,
Fran