Metal Prototype 1929 Siemens Neophone

Rare prototype 1929 Metal Neophone, complete with cast base & internals, the very early version of the 162 cradle, the early “thin” plunger and rare (may be one of a kind) prototype enamel dial blank, accommodating a wide dial label.

This phone is the prototype featured in an article titled “A New C.B. Microtelephone” in the 3 October 1929 edition of the Institute of Post Office Electrical Engineers Journal (I.P.O.E.E.J.) – see gallery.

The dial blank is exactly as shown in the article – it is very unusual and accommodates a wide diameter dial label.  I have heard of the wide dial labels before, but no one seems to have previously found the matching dial blank.  The thin plunger, early cradle and metal internals are also as shown in the article.

The one part on this phone that varies from the article is the S-29 (not GPO) handset, which I’m guessing came between the “b” Handset shown in the article (and as shown on the “Friends of Britphones” Metal Prototype 1929 Siemens Neophone) and the GPO S-29 Handset (as shown on the GPO 1929 162 on this website).

The cast metal base has the GPO S-29 inscription and Siemens 82 paster diagram, where as the “Friends of Britphones” example has no inscription or paster diagram.

When this phone went into production, the body was made in Bakelite. Only the prototypes featured metal bodies.

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