RARE! The only AUTHENTIC & GENUINE VINTAGE circa 1950's STATE of NEW YORK, NYPD POLICE TELEPHONE CALL BOX OF THIS MODEL ON eBay (at time of posting this listing).

 Has its ORIGINAL; GREEN ENAMEL PAINT which is beautifully WEATHERED, and BLACK/WHITE PORCELAIN - ENAMEL SIGN stating "TO CALL POLICE USE THIS TELEPHONE". This Box's DOOR HINGE has the ORIGINAL DOOR CLOSING  SPRING TUBE ACCESSORY OPTION INSTALLED (Many others in NY didn't have that). Box has its original GREEN CONDUIT CAP PLUG (Though much paint has wore off) -  screwed in on the top, and an unpainted or completely worn off paint cap plug on the bottom (underside) of the unit. These NYPD call boxes didn't come equipped with a lock and therefore no key. ORIGINAL HEAVY WEIGHT; WESTERN ELECTRIC - BAKELITE HANDSET. It is my understanding that this particular piece was modified by the installation of a SWITCH with a CONTROL KNOB to accommodate selection of service from MULTIPLE TELEPHONE LINES.

 This CALL BOX piece contains the ROTARY DIAL ASSEMBLY - OPTION (NY CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT had both the ROTARY DIAL - PRESENT VERSION, and THOSE WITHOUT WHICH HAD A BLANK COVER PLATE. When present the rotary dialers were often adjusted to only complete the dialing of numbers 1 through 5, and as I best recall when dialing the number 5 it connected to ring the precinct's telephone switchboard which was related with the location of that call box. So that partial dialer enabled reaching the required police facility as apparently the numbers were either somehow mechanically programmed into the call box mechanism or perhaps the attached phone lines were dedicated to doing that. The method prevented the public from making regular personal telephone calls.) 

 As we were preparing this phone to be photographed, we tried the dialer and it was stopped from dialing beyond the number 5. We later tried again to fully dial and discovered that it was now able to dial any number. Perhaps some removable peg in the dialer mechanism which acts as an adjustable dial lock, fell out of place as a result of us trying the phone dial while the call-box was resting flat on its back. Perhaps one may consider that to be a good thing.

 These telephones were utilized in public locations, primarily for the purpose of enabling street cops to call in to their precinct station house command's Telephone Switchboard (T.S.) before the portable 2-way radios became available, and otherwise used for more lengthy or confidential police communications while being out on patrol, keeping the two-way radio airwaves most available for urgent communications.

 We haven't tried nor tested this telephone. Unknown whether it works or not. Nor do we know whether it is physically complete or not. As everything else which have listed on Ebay, the item in this listing is being Offered and Sold: "As-Is", "Final-Sale", "No-Order-Cancellations", "No-Exchanges", "No-Liability", "No-Returns/No-Refunds", "No-Guarantee/No- Warranty".


 If buying for more than as a collectable piece to display, it will be the owner's or operator's responsibility to only use this telephone lawfully, if in fact it is even capable of working and or possible to do so.


 Please Carefully Examine The photos shown, as should there be any further discoveries after purchase - whether related or not, this item would still belong to the buyer.


 The old "SPRING 3100" Magazine cover, and other vintage depictions shown are for illustration purpose only, and aren't physically available from us, nor are they included with the purchase.




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