The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I bought a Berliner needle tin with the word "Victoria" on it.I'm just wondering if anyone has seen that before??.I'm thinking it might be a misprint for "Victrola".What do you think???.Also,here is a normal one that says "fine tone".

Hmm...That's interesting. I don't have a clue. But I bet someone here will and it will be interesting to hear what they say.

It is very strange to use the word "Victoria" even the red version's are normal.

Hmmm.. I wonder if Berliner in Canada was like HMV in UK, and gave some needles different names?
HMV had "Melba" needles back in the G&T days at least until the teens, and the other day I got a tin of "Pianissimo" needles that are nothing more than ordinary soft tones, and it's even printed in exactly the same colours as a soft tone tin.
Maybe at some stage "Victoria" was a fancy name used for soft tone needles too?

Well,I guess it is not a misprint after all.I just saw another.Too bad the sun has bleached out the green.

Now I know "Victoria" was the term Berliner used for the needle that was to be used when the record was brand new.I have a multi tin that shows it.You can read on the bottom of the lid,they recomend useing "Victoria" needles first.

Ah...mystery solved
I notice there are also "Pianissimo" (soft tone) needles included- the same as the UK HMV's I recently bought. I wonder if HMV also issued "Victoria", "Gramophone" & "Piano" needles as well??

I wonder what the idea was behind playing a new record the first couple times with a Victoria needle was? (extra loud tone?)
I have noticed on my one & only Canadian HMV/Berliner cover, it states "A new record should be played over at least 3 times with regular needles before it will give best results", which seems kind of odd, and I cant say I've ever noticed a similar statement made by any other company on their covers or in their catalogues.