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Riccardo Grillo · 7th Sep 2019, 9:08 pm

Hi there again,

Wondered if anyone might be able to help me identify the colour of this phone?

I've been trying to collect the set of GPO 706 modern telephones and had all of them except the yellow one. Aware that it isn't that common and probably wouldn't look the original colour, I got hold of an inexpensive what I thought was ivory one and was going to replace the yellowed ivory parts with reproduction yellow ones.

But now I'm concerned that what I have may actually be a genuine yellow phone!

This photo shows my ?yellow? and my ivory phone together:

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...370&fit=bounds

The phone on the left is a Phoenix Telephones phone 706L/2A from 1964.
The phone on the right is just marked 706/2A also made by Phoenix in 1966, but possibly refurbished in 69 by the Record electrical company.

As the one on the right had been fitted with a clear plastic fingerplate and silver figured backplate yet still had the original lettered surround, the dial looked ridiculous. Looked like a few careless workers had been in it (concorde blue carry handle, no dial dust cover, dirty etc), so I fitted a reproduction fingerplate, carry handle, and backplate. This suggests that the casing of this ivory phone is not far off its original colour.

The phone on the left (the one I am trying to identify) is yellow(ed) inside and outside. The parts of the grommet that have been protected from the light are more yellow than those that have been exposed. The fingerplate is a lighter yellow than the casing. The paint on the reverse of the dial surround is more yellow than the paint visible through the clear plastic dial surround, but the visible paint is slightly darker than that visible on the original dial surround on the ivory phone. The plastic inside the handset and in the transmitter screwthreads is yellow. The original line cord, where recently cut, is also yellowish (about the same colour as the fingerplate).

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...370&fit=bounds

The plastic sticker under the casing seems to be old, all parts seem to be original with '64 stamps on transmitter and receiver, the dial was sticky in action and the phone was sold to me unconverted. The seller cut the cord to save on postage, but it was previously choccy-blocked to a BT cord. After a good clean and a dial stripdown, it now seems to be a good example of an unmodified original phone.

It is clear that the left phone has yellowed to an extent, as it is a slightly lighter yellow e.g. under the handset than where exposed

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...370&fit=bounds

I'm wondering what people think of this theory:

THEORY

1. The phone left the factory Topaz yellow and has become a darker yellow.
2. It has been exposed to light and the lettered surround has faded quite a lot, while the cords have become a bit less yellow and a bit more grey.
3. The fingerplate is more-or-less the original colour.

Or is it a very yellowed ivory phone after all?

Can anyone throw some experience on the matter?

7th Sep 2019, 9:08 pm	#1
Riccardo Grillo Triode Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Colchester, Essex, UK. Posts: 24	Topaz yellow (faded), or yellowed ivory? Hi there again, Wondered if anyone might be able to help me identify the colour of this phone? I've been trying to collect the set of GPO 706 modern telephones and had all of them except the yellow one. Aware that it isn't that common and probably wouldn't look the original colour, I got hold of an inexpensive what I thought was ivory one and was going to replace the yellowed ivory parts with reproduction yellow ones. But now I'm concerned that what I have may actually be a genuine yellow phone! This photo shows my ?yellow? and my ivory phone together: https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...370&fit=bounds The phone on the left is a Phoenix Telephones phone 706L/2A from 1964. The phone on the right is just marked 706/2A also made by Phoenix in 1966, but possibly refurbished in 69 by the Record electrical company. As the one on the right had been fitted with a clear plastic fingerplate and silver figured backplate yet still had the original lettered surround, the dial looked ridiculous. Looked like a few careless workers had been in it (concorde blue carry handle, no dial dust cover, dirty etc), so I fitted a reproduction fingerplate, carry handle, and backplate. This suggests that the casing of this ivory phone is not far off its original colour. The phone on the left (the one I am trying to identify) is yellow(ed) inside and outside. The parts of the grommet that have been protected from the light are more yellow than those that have been exposed. The fingerplate is a lighter yellow than the casing. The paint on the reverse of the dial surround is more yellow than the paint visible through the clear plastic dial surround, but the visible paint is slightly darker than that visible on the original dial surround on the ivory phone. The plastic inside the handset and in the transmitter screwthreads is yellow. The original line cord, where recently cut, is also yellowish (about the same colour as the fingerplate). https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...370&fit=bounds The plastic sticker under the casing seems to be old, all parts seem to be original with '64 stamps on transmitter and receiver, the dial was sticky in action and the phone was sold to me unconverted. The seller cut the cord to save on postage, but it was previously choccy-blocked to a BT cord. After a good clean and a dial stripdown, it now seems to be a good example of an unmodified original phone. It is clear that the left phone has yellowed to an extent, as it is a slightly lighter yellow e.g. under the handset than where exposed https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...370&fit=bounds I'm wondering what people think of this theory: THEORY 1. The phone left the factory Topaz yellow and has become a darker yellow. 2. It has been exposed to light and the lettered surround has faded quite a lot, while the cords have become a bit less yellow and a bit more grey. 3. The fingerplate is more-or-less the original colour. Or is it a very yellowed ivory phone after all? Can anyone throw some experience on the matter?