Search:

---

---

Near Mint, Working 1923 Monodyne Miniature Radio w/Both Coils & Good WD-12 Tube For Sale

---

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

---

---

Near Mint, Working 1923 Monodyne Miniature Radio w/Both Coils & Good WD-12 Tube:
$394.89

Make sure to check out all of my auctions after you look at this one. I\'m listing another eclectic selection of antiques and collectibles, and I suspect that there will be something to interest just about everyone.
Here\'s a pristine, working 1923 Monodyne tube radio. The radio comes with both of its original tuning coils (short wave and medium wave), an excellent, working pair of 1920\'s Brandes headphones, and an excellent (tested strong) brass base, tipped RCA WD-12 Radiotron tube.
Manufactured by National Airphone, the Monodyne was the smallest tube radio made during the 1920\'s -- even smaller than the Crosley Pup (about 1/3 the size of the Pup actually). Because it was a relatively cheap set, with a case made of poured shellac rather than bakelite, the Monodyne did not weather the sands of time very well. The few survivors left on the planet are typically afflicted with a range of issues, most notably cracked housings with chunks of shellac missing from their corners.
Nor was the radio known for its stellar performance. The tuning coils, as you can see, are tiny, and the tuning condenser -- hidden inside the base -- consists of nothing more than a couple sheets of copper whose capacitance changed as the tuning knob was rotated, pressing the plates closer together or pulling them further apart. The radio frequently didn\'t work even when it was new, so to find one like this, that still works almost a century after the radio was manufactured, is fairly remarkable.
Condition of the radio itself is basically like new, as you can see in the pictures. The shellac case is perfect, the original lettering is crisp and clear everywhere, the nickel-plated coil holders still gleam and exhibit no rust nor even any significant tarnish. There are no cracks on the underside of the base, and most of the original paper \"warning\" label -- cautioning owners that if they crack open the case they risk voiding their warranty -- is still intact.
The tuning coils are in near mint condition, with minor fading to the cloth, but no other significant issues, which is remarkable, because the coils are cheaply made and flimsy, with fragile end caps that, like the case, are also made of poured shellac rather than bakelite or hard rubber.
If you want to operate the radio, you\'ll need a longwire outdoor antenna, a good indoor ground connection and the appropriate dry cell batteries (or a suitable DC power supply.) Don\'t expect much in the way of performance. If you\'re lucky, you\'ll be able to tune a strong local station or two. As noted above, the radio was built to a price, not to a standard. If you want excellence, buy yourself a Kennedy or a Federal.
That\'s about it. I\'ve been shipping fragile antiques around the globe for decades and can assure you that your purchase will arrive at your doorstep in the same excellent condition in which leaves it mine. Buyer prepays and includes shipping.

---