UPDATE: On 11/09/2009, Peter Persoff reported on ICON that Woody has assigned CD 296.2 to the middle insulator shown above.

THE FACTS

In the 1999 Price Guide, there is both a CD 292 and a CD 296 PRISM. CD 292 is shown as 3 3/4" tall by 4 1/2" wide; crown detail with "full" saddle groove, and all three skirts flush as the base. CD 296 is shown as 4" tall by 4 1/2" wide, crown detail with "full" saddle groove, and innermost skirt raised higher than the outer two which are flush to the base.

In the 2003 Price Guide, PRISM is only listed as CD 296. CD 292 is still shown as 3 3/4" by 4 1/2", and the scale drawing is substantially the same (though slightly different). A new CD 292 variant is shown with the same dimensions, but a slightly different (and lower) profile in the skirt, and the saddle groove is "top only" (by which I mean, the top has a circular ring of glass with the groove on top not going all the way down to the skirt, as opposed to the "full" saddle groove that goes from skirt to skirt). CD 296 is substantially the same as in 1999.

In the 2007 Price Guide, there is no change from 2003.

Apart from the PRISM embossing, CD 292 consistently has had NO EMBOSSING, and PATENT - OTHER. CD 296 consistently has had LOCKE, and NO NAME. CD 296 had NO EMBOSSING introduced in 2003 and still there in 2007.

The main differences between the scale drawings for the CD 292 and the CD 296 are

1. Height: 3 3/4" for the CD 292, and 4" for the CD 296.

2. Skirt profile: the CD 292 appears to have a "shorter" skirt than the CD 296. The CD 296 has perhaps a more gradual slope in to the neck of the insulator than the CD 292, which goes upwards fairly straight and then has a sudden curve in towards the neck. The variant of CD 292 (listed as the NO EMBOSSING style in 2007) has an even shorter skirt before it curves into the neck area.

3. crown detail: CD 296 is a shown with a line straight across at the base of the ears, signifying that the saddle groove doesn't come fully down to the skirt area but is instead "stopped" by a ledge of glass. The CD 292 is missing this line, and the wire groove goes full down to the neck. The CD 292 variant (NO EMBOSSING style in 2007) does have a line straight across in the drawing, but has a much larger "ledge" than the CD 296.

4. Inner skirt configuration: both CD 292 drawings show all 3 skirts flush at the base. The CD 296 drawing shows the inner skirt elevated above the other two, which are flush with the skirt.

THE INSULATORS

Given this information, the photo above shows the CD 292 PATENT - OTHER on the left, and the CD 296 LOCKE on the right. The piece in the middle is a questionable PRISM piece.

1. This insulator is substantially the same height as the CD 292, at about 3 3/4". It is noticeably shorter than the CD 296 on the right.

2. The skirt profile is significantly "lower" than the CD 296, and even "lower" than the CD 292 show on the left. This profile matches the scale drawing shown in the 2007 Price Guide on page 205, identified as the "NO EMBOSSING" style.

3. The saddle groove is "top only", being stopped by a large ledge of glass that forms the top of the insulator. This ledge is significantly larger than the ledge on the CD 296. The crown detail matches the scale drawing shown in the 2007 Price Guide on page 205, identified as the "NO EMBOSSING" style.

4. The skirts are all three flush with each other. However, note that the CD 292 shown on the left has an inner skirt that is elevated above the other two, similar to the configuration shown on the CD 296.

CONCLUSION

The PRISM piece in the middle (for closer view [id=203551720]) is exactly the same as the CD 292 scale drawing shown on page 205 of the 2007 Price Guide, identified as the "NO EMBOSSING" style. It is my opinion that this really is a CD 292, and that the 2003 and 2007 Price Guides incorrectly omit a CD 292 PRISM. Please note that there may well be a PRISM that matches the CD 296 scale drawing -- I don't have one, but I can't say that it doesn't exist. An alternate possibility is that the Price Guide incorrectly shows the "NO EMBOSSING" scale drawing variant as a CD 292 when it should be a CD 296. If that is the case, then the PRISM may well be a CD 296, but then one wonders about the NO EMBOSSING variation.

It seems odd that the introduction of the CD 292 NO EMBOSSING variant scale drawing occurred at the same time that the NO EMBOSSING primary embossing was added to the CD 296.

FURTHER QUESTIONS

Does anyone out there have a PRISM insulator that does not match the CD 292 scale drawing variant identified as the "NO EMBOSSING" style (i.e. doesn't match the profile of the center insulator in the photo above)?

Does anyone out there have a NO EMBOSSING insulator that matches the CD 292 scale drawing "NO EMBOSSING" variant?

Does anyone out there have a NO EMBOSSING insulator that matches the CD 296 scale drawing?

If you have any of these 3 variations, please post a picture and let me (and/or ICON) know!

OTHER COMPARISONS IN THE PHOTO GALLERY

* CD 292 PATENT - OTHER vs CD 296 LOCKE [id=57708943]

* CD 292/296 PRIMS ID'd as CD 296 [id=80826807]

* CD 292 PATENT - OTHER questioned as 292 or 296 [id=99359510]

* CD 292/296 PRISM for sale, with question as to CD [id=160600646]

* Unembossed CD 292, or CD 296? [id=192919972]

* Unembossed CD 292 [id=209767257]