Just before heading to the printer with the 1999 version of the Price Guide for "Insulators, A History and Guide to North American Glass Pintype Insulators," I received photos and drawings from Gary Horstman, member of the National Trail Insulator Club and collector from Brookville, Ohio. 

Gary had an unusual CD 232 Hemingray piece that he thought was different enough to warrant a new CD number. Gary wrote: "These are photos of the CD 232 oddity I came across. The embossing is CD 232 Hemingray [010]. The embossing is small, and it's pretty blurred. The color is clear. The "mold" numbers are "11-47.".

Here the difference starts. In the photos, the one on the right is the standard 4-7/8" diameter and 3-5/16" high. The one on the left is 4-13/16" in diameter and 3-3/4" high. The neck seems longer, making the ears higher than the standard one. (In fact, the whole top resembled the CD 232.1 to me). The inner skirt is longer; within 3/16" of the base. The neck is narrower; 2-1/8" in diameter as opposed to 2-1/2"."

Over the last 10 years in preparation of publishing books on the North American glass pintypes, numerous candidates for new CD number assignment has been forwarded to N.R. "Woody" Woodward for his appraisal of their general appearance, dimensions and field applications. He continues to diligently assess all aspects of each new candidate. 

Accompanying the return of Gary Horstman's letter and photos were the following comments from Woody: "I have not seen this insulator. I suspect it is the your [010] in the price guide. It has the post-war style embossing, the "D" dropped, HEMINGRAY - 513 with MADE IN U.S.A. on the reverse, with mold and post-war date under. I have never seen this insulator.

Although some of the others (as [040] are probably post-war - knurled base rim) the embossing indicates they were made in old molds with the 0-4 marking. Number of dots would indicate date of manufacture; but on those power pieces the dots above HEMINGRAYare seldom legible. 

Therefore with 1/2" taller and generally different configuration (including "neck" and inner skirt), I'm going to assign CD 232.2 to the 1947 mold set. CD 232.1 is the first design for that insulator, and has the very long inner skirt with the rest of the insulator about the same as CD 232."

CD 232.2 on left, with CD 232 on the right for comparison.

Research is an ongoing process. With the publication of the 1999 Price Guide, there have been many contacts from individuals who have located embossings not listed in the price guide. And, as they have made them known to me, I have placed them into the database for future updates to the price guide. The guide serves as a pricing reference, BUT, more importantly a way of tracking the many embossing configurations of each CD style. I won't attempt to solve the color identification problem, for it is most difficult for any two individuals to agree on every color, let alone the hundreds of people that use the guide. The permission to use the Consolidated Design scale drawings developed by N.R. Woodward has greatly enhanced the 1999 Guide's use. Maybe someday a standardized color identification system, such as SpecTru developed by Mark Lauckner, will be incorporated. 

I encourage those of you who have found new listings to send them to me for entry. The job becomes enormous when a new revision is in the works if everyone sends additions at the last minute. It makes it so much easier if they are entered as they are found.