[78-L] Raised lettering beneath Columbia label: A2670

[Mark Hendrix 78L]

Hello, Stephen:

I believe what Mike Biel wrote yesterday is relevant to your question:

"You need to be looking at the
engraved numbers in the shellac, not the ones printed on the label.
Columbia often put the take info in a different place from the matrix
number itself.  It will often be in the form of a number then a letter
them another number.  The first number is the take.  The letter is the
metal positive or mother, and the number after the letter (sometimes not
there) is the stamper from that mother.  These last two items are not
discographically significant."

I did not know this, and as Mike was discussing a Columbia issue of the CBS
era, I must say I've never noticed this information on such issues.  For a
Columbia of the "Gold Band" era you are asking about, as far as I know there
is always a sequence of characters under the label.

Having taken a look at your scans, I'm pretty sure that what you are seeing
is not "75c" but rather "758."  I'm not sure why your disc has three digit
stamper numbers, if indeed they are stamper numbers and I'm not
misinterpreting what Mike said.  But these "Gold Band"-era Columbia's always
have this train of characters separated by two hyphens under the label.  The
problem is, all the characters are not always legible.  As Stephen Barr
suggests, you can improve your luck by placing some onionskin over the label
and gently rubbing with a soft graphite pencil.  This usually results in
characters, appearing on the onionskin, that you can read.

I hope I haven't muddied the waters further.  :-)

--Mark Hendrix

> -----Original Message-----
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
> [mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com]On Behalf Of Stephen Davies
> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 2:24 PM
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: [78-L] Raised lettering beneath Columbia label: A2670
>
>
>         Thanks again, in advance, for helping a novice with his questions.
>
>         My Columbia Grafonola A2670 has Hugh Donovan singing "The rose of
> no man's land" (Mx 78148) on one side with "75c" in raised letters under
> the paper label.  The label, however, states "Price in U.S. 85c.
> Price in
> Canada 90c".  Hmmm.  Well, we'll set that issue aside.
>
>         My question is what are the numbers on the reverse side.  Henry
> Burr sings "Over yonder where the lilies grow" (Mx 78152), and in a
> combination of stamped and raised letters underneath the label,
> it says "4
> (space, space, space, space) - 661"  I think the last numeral is a "1",
> but it's hard to tell because it looks like someone changed their mind
> before correcting the number to be a "1".
>
>         Photos at
> http://bigband-smallband.blogspot.com/#1106248581794253737
>
> Stephen D,
> Calgary
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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