[78-L] Early Columbia Labels & Sizes

[marimbamoods at comcast.net]

there are several early label-types on single-sided columbia's pre-dating double-sided issues. these include the following styles, listed in what i think is their historical chronology: 


climax embossed 
climax gold ring 
climax broken ring 
columbia silver ring 
no ring 
conditions 
grand prize 


can anyone date these label styles, either by year and/or by record/catalog numbers? i am particularly curious about the dates of use for the "silver ring" label style. 


did those label dates vary by catalog number based on unsold stock of slow moving items versus records that sold well that may have been pressed in greater quantity. in other words, when the label style went through a change, maybe older stock continued to be sold with the earlier labels for some time? 


can anyone date the sales of seven-inch columbia discs from this period? was there any difference in chronology between the seven-inch issues versus the ten-inch single-sided issues? i have only seen the first two label-types listed above for the seven-inch discs: climax gold ring & columbia silver ring. 


in general, i have seen far fewer of the seven-inch columbia single-sided discs from this period as compared to other seven-inch labels from that same period. berliners, zonophones, monarch's, & victors - all seven-inch sizes - seem far more numerous than seven-inch diameter columbia's. is this just my personal experience, or is that historically so? 


i imagine that early seven-inch discs corresponded to seven-inch diameter turntables on period phonographs. did columbia make a seven-inch turntable machine that they issued the smaller discs for? 


i appreciate any help; thank you very much. 


gratefully, 
david harvey