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I'm thinking this must have been made during the 1930's. It does NOT have the serial number that is easy to identify dates. This one simply says 730612. I got this as a throw in at the Wayne show and just now got around to trying to get it running. The box is very beat up and sorry looking, but I managed to get a fairly nice sound out of it (partly due to me having a spare English no.15 soundbox). Anyone know about dates the 204b was made?

https://youtu.be/IsL9J3BiL-o

The Columbia 204 and it's clone the HMV 97 were the first new portables to be introduced following the merger of Columbia and HMV in 1931 to form EMI. The 204 was produced from 1933 to 1952 and the 97 from 1933 to 1955. The 204b is pre-war, probably about 1935, and the series ran to 204e.

epigramophone wrote:The Columbia 204 and it's clone the HMV 97 were the first new portables to be introduced following the merger of Columbia and HMV in 1931 to form EMI. The 204 was produced from 1933 to 1952 and the 97 from 1933 to 1955. The 204b is pre-war, probably about 1935, and the series ran to 204e.

Thank you so much!

Here is my Columbia 204, bought new in 1934 as a 21st birthday present for my favourite aunt who left it to me on her death in 1963 :

It's beautiful! Thanks for sharing---

Columbia78 wrote:It's beautiful! Thanks for sharing---

And the Morris looks to be nice too!

Iowa Dale