Hemingray NO.12

[carobran]

I picked this up at the flea market today for $3.A couple of the points on the bottom are broken and its got a couple of shallow chips(the price label was hiding i chip[>:]) but i like the look of it.It says PATENT MAY 2 1893 and HEMINGRAY NO. 12.

 

[carobran]

1 more

 

[BillinMo]

That's a telephone style. Collectors nicknamed this a "keg." The two grooves allow what's called an exchange. In telephone lines, you don't want to have two wires running completely parallel to each other, which could cause "cross-talk."

The No. 12 was a very popular Hemingray style, produced from the 1890s to at least the WW2 timeframe, perhaps later. I'm not a specialist in that style so I don't have later examples on hand to examine date codes. You have one of the earlier ones, from before 1910. If you're not aware of it, the May 2, 1893 patent date is for the drip points on the bottom. The idea was that in wet weather, they helped the insulator dry faster by giving the water a place to form drops. Probably did nothing, though, but I suppose it gave the sales people a talking point.

 

[Poison_Us]

We were victims of the same dirty trick. Our 3" KR-3 we bought at a table at a show a few years back ahd a nice chip in the back, covered by the price tag. Will never buy from that guy again.

 

[BillinMo]

Wow... what an awful thing to do, especially from an experienced bottle person set up at a show. I'd start wondering what other ethical shortcomings they might have.

Usually I'm not bashful at all about pulling off the tag and looking.