Gray 23J Coin Collector
Published: October 2011
This month we have another one of the most popular Gray coin collectors up for scrutiny. It is the type #23J. Similar to the 23D we looked at last month but with the more modern handset replacing the separate transmitter and receiver. Since the phone doesn’t have a talk transmitter on the front the operator wouldn’t have been able to have heard the as they were dropped. For that reason a transmitter was added inside the housing! This transmitter is connected to the talk circuit of the collector. While the 23D were made of cast iron the 23Js were made of cast iron and also aluminum. I don’t know if it is always the case but the ones I have seen that were made of aluminum didn’t have the 3 individual tabs behind the coin slots, just one piece going across the top stamped with the 25, 10 & 5. View the pictures of the 2 different 23J collectors here to see the 2 types. The later aluminum one was used as a payphone, the older one with the separate tabs was used to call a Western Union operator to place telegram orders. This is the last of my series on the type 23 Grays, I am still looking for a 23C for the collection and to write about.