Trash to Treasure: Army field phone - AmericaNowNews.com

Trash to Treasure: Army field phone

Rotary dial telephones may be a thing of the past, but that doesn't mean they're not valuable anymore.

Michael Roman has been collecting military artifacts for nearly 40 years, and cherishes an Army Officer's field phone from WWII.

"The phone is collectible primarily because of the time period that it represents," says Roman. "This is a prime example of their peak of communication on the battlefield, so for historical significance it marks a point in military history."

The phone looks like it's made of brass, but it's actually a steel shell that's been lacquered to look like brass. It's very heavy and is nearly indestructible.

Roman says the retro, streamline design is another reason this phone is so treasured by collectors.

"It maintains some of the Art Deco appeal of the ‘30s going into the ‘40s, and the modern era," says Roman. "A phone like this in good condition is probably in the $150 range. Today it's mostly collectible because of its aesthetic appeal. People like the way they look, so that gives them more value."

Roman says old field phones can be re-wired to work with today's land lines. So if you're wandering a flea market and a military field phone calls your attention – answer it!  Because it's a direct line to history.

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