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How to Identify Western Electric Phones

Western Electric, which began in 1869, manufactured telephones until the end of the Bell System in 1984. These phones are usually heavy with a handset attached by a fabric-covered cord or, in later years, the standard curly cord. Built to last, many Western Electric telephones are still in working order and are considered collector's items. To identify your phone, look for the numbers and letters Western Electric used to mark most of the phones.

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the bottom of the phone. Especially on the candlestick phones and others developed in the first half of the 20th century, Western Electric attached a metal plate to the bottom with the company name. For newer models, look for a letter, such as "H," or a letter/number combination, such as "H1." This is the Western Electric model number.
- 2
  Look at the mouthpiece of wall phones distributed around 1900, before the rotary dialer was added. Western Electric riveted a metal plate with its company name under the mouthpiece of its phones.
- 3
  Search on the back of the handset for a letter/number combination, such as "B1" or "D1." This is the Western Electric model number, which it commonly stamped on the handset.
- 4
  Examine the phone for a vintage look. If the phone is bright and shiny inside or out, it could potentially be a newer replica instead of a true vintage Western Electric phone. If you doubt its authenticity, seek out the advice of an authorized antique specialist.

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