The November 1995 issue of Crown Jewels of the Wire contained an article entitled “ABC's of the 123's” in which I reported on a recent discovery of CD 123 E.C.&M. Co. S.F. insulators in Northern California. Both dome and skirt embossed EC&M's were unearthed and salvaged by heavy equipment operators during the summer of 1994. Almost one year later these jewels found their way into the waiting hands of a collector, whom in turn has allocated a good percentage of them to an elated group of collectors.

Two damaged light smoke EC&Ms. One on left has since 
turned smoky SCA with a six month sunlight exposure. 

In the November 1995 report I gave a partial breakdown of the colors and quantities obtained in relation to the grouping I personally viewed at that time. I recently had the pleasure to view and photograph the remaining EC&M's that prevented my previous listing from being accurate and complete. I'm delighted to add three more colors--one deep yellow green, two bubbly forest greens & one bubbly olive green--to the final list of insulators obtained in this grouping. My previous estimated total of 85 colored EC&M's purchased in this lot is now reduced to a final tally of 68.

The following chart contains a complete list of the EC&M's obtained in the spring of 1995:

Four EC&M’s exhibiting various levels of mineral deposits
(L to R) Smoke, Dark Forest Green, Smoke (skirt emb.), and
Dark Yellow Orange Amber.

For the sake of historical documentation, the above listed insulators are not related to a separate, recently reported discovery of colored EC&M's from the same geographical area. Upon personal viewing of approximately eight or so specimens from this other group, it was noted that most seem to exhibit a fine rippled or orange peel-like surface texture. However, I am told that others from this same group reportedly do not. For the most part, the EC&M's reported in the above chart exhibit a fairly smooth exterior surface, with some containing random creases or folds.

It is extremely important, as the information becomes available, that each new discovery is publicly and thoroughly documented--thus the purpose of this and the prior report. This gives the hobby a foundation to work with in accepting and authenticating each new discovery. In some cases, due to justifiable reasons, revealing complete information as to exact location or source is impossible. Unfortunately, such a shroud of mystery could, in the minds of some, lead to skepticism and non acceptance of the story and/or insulators described. Should this occur, the discoverer or reporter might be expected to provide further evidence of authenticity. The need for providing further proof is becoming more significant as we see the monetary values of most scarce and rare insulators on a rapid and continuous upward climb.

What further steps can one take to provide further authentication? Attempts by several collectors to procure a testing process for dating glass has, to my knowledge, proven futile. In a personal attempt to add further authentication to the EC&M's listed above, I submit the following:

Due to the original white deposits that were still present on a small number of uncleaned EC&M's, I decided to look into the possibility of scientifically substantiating the authenticity of the surface deposits. These deposits, originally found in varying amounts on all the specimens, have since been cleaned (primarily on the outer surface) from most by a method known as tumbling (at each new owner's request).

After making several calls to soil, hazardous waste and chemical testing laboratories, I finally submitted one of the uncleaned specimens--a dome embossed smoke--for a surface test at a certified analytical laboratory in Redlands, CA. Through chemical testing, coupled with the expertise of the technicians involved, it was concluded that the surface staining is composed of a non-organic, non-oil based material simply referred to as "mineral salts", a naturally occurring ingredient in most soils. In addition to an overall staining, the tested specimen had an area on the dome where the mineral deposits had etched through the surface of the glass. Further conclusions stated that these mineral salts would likely require a lengthy period of time "eating" at the surface to create such a breakdown in the glass. The technician that performed the actual testing stated that based on her experience and the naturally aged appearance of the mineral stains, she would have no problem accepting the insulator as authentic if she were “into this sort of thing”.

So there you have it,