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Lynchburg CD 205 NO. 530 One Piece Transposition (NO. 53)

CD 205, Transposition, Light Power

Colors: Lt. Aqua, Blue Aqua, Green Aqua, Dk. Green Aqua, Lt. Blue, Lt. Green

Lynchburg CD 205s were made from retooled Gayner molds and are very consistent in size and shape. The Gayner name was replaced with LYNCHBURG on the front. On some molds remnants of Gayner lettering are visible beneath LYNCHBURG. On reverse, the Gayner mold number and parts of the style number were retained with MADE IN U.S.A. added. Because of the narrowness of the base area, there is no L logo on this style. The Gayner style number for the CD 205 was No. 530, following Gayner's habit of using modified Brookfield style numbers (Brookfield's CD 205 was No. 53). Lynchburg used both No. 53 and No. 530. Most molds exist with both numbers. Lynchburg production records list NO. 530 in the first production run (Jan. 13-Jan 19, with a run of 14,027) and the NO. 53 ten months later in a second production run (Nov 23-Nov 29, 1924: 12,949). However, the last two runs (Feb. 8-14, 1925: 10,660; April 12-18, 1925: 17,680) are both listed as NO. 530.

Comparison of Brookfield (left) and Lynchburg (right) CD 205, showing Lynchburg's use of Brookfield style number, NO. 53.

On most molds it is obvious that the original Lynchburg style number was NO. 53 that was then modified into NO. 530 by the addition of a zero (0). On these pieces, the original NO. 53 was centered between MADE IN and U.S.A. The added 0 makes the reverse lettering off center to the right (see below). In many cases the added zero was not aligned well with 53. Lynchburg's first published price list from January 5, 1924, the week before the first run of this style, lists this style as "530 One Piece Transposition."

Comparison of style numbers on CD 205 Mold 5, original NO. 53 (left)
and retooled with added zero N0. 530 (right)

This raises some questions. Why would Lynchburg, using Gayner molds that were originally lettered NO. 530, go to the trouble of changing the number to NO. 53 only to change it back to NO. 530? Were both numbers produced together in all four production runs, or was No. 53 produced first and then changed? Why do the production records list two numbers for this style, and obviously not in the order in which the molds were tooled? Was it a matter of bookkeeping or was there some other reason for two numbers? Were they trying to identify their product more closely with the earlier Gayner CD 205 No. 530 to boost sales? -1- We will likely never know the answer to most of these questions. In any case, most molds exist with both numbers. It is possible that all molds exist with both lettering, although I have not yet confirmed that.

All lettering on the molds is hand engraved, with the exception of a few mold numbers that are die stamped. This is one of five styles of Lynchburgs that occur with both drip points and with smooth base (SB, along with CDs 122 [rare], 162, 164, and 251 [uncommon]). This style with drip points is harder to find than the smooth base version.

Comparison of Gayner and Lynchburg CD 205.

There were 55,316 of CD 205 made in four production runs in weeks ending January 19, November 29, 1924, and February 4, April 18, 1925.

There are likely 12 molds of Lynchburg CD 205, although I have only confirmed Molds 1 through 11. There is a CD 205 mold 12 with Gayner lettering so it probably also occurs with Lynchburg lettering. It is likely that all of the molds were retooled to change the style number from No. 53 to No. 530 (11 confirmed). Retooled molds are indicated by a decimal number after the mold number (for example, 5.1, etc.). Molds in gray are assumed to exist but have not been confirmed.

* confirmed with Gayner lettering.

Additional Information

Notes

1. We know from later correspondence between W. H. Loyd and William Gayner that this style did not sell well and was some of the last stock on hand more than a year after the company stopped production in May, 1925. Letter, W. H. Loyd to J. William Gayner, November 19, 1926.

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