This 1937 phone is a very unusual GPO 1/162, which is a GPO 162 with a factory fitted drawer base. Equally unusual, this phone is in a MELAMINE RESIN material, which seems to have existed at a similar time to diakon. Probably a one of a kind.
“M” material is generally thought to have been used for spare parts only and this is the only complete coloured phone in M that I am aware of.
Also, the 1/162 base is generally thought only to have been issued separately in order to update the older 162’s to include a drawer base.
My best guess is that this phone was made up in green “M” material as a prototype or for demontration purposes to show off “M” material, or the 1/162 drawer concept, or both.
Other collectors have informed me that green “M” bases have turned up in both regular 162 and 1/162 styles. Also, an ivory “M” body has been discovered.
On both the 1/162 green bases that I know of, the drawer cover and knob have been in diakon material and I assume that this is how they came out of the factory – please let me know if you have seen other examples. Please also drop me an email me if you come across anything else in “M” or other non standard materials.
#9A
