Here's a scarce piece that doesn't turn up much and is often overlooked in the sea of more common white Canadian porcelain beehives. This one appears to be dry process, with a grooved base and an unusually stout profile and low wire groove. Diggers in eastern Canada may recognize this one as a style that occasionally turns up on M.T.Co. circuits along various early rail lines. Collectors in western Canada may encounter these along the CPR where some seem to have seen some use early on in its history. Regardless of where you look, you may not find these easy to track down. One theory of mine is that these were contemporaneous with the MONTREAL TELEGRAPH CO embossed CD 143s, as they share a very similar profile and, as mentioned, can be found on the same lines.

This example has a black hairline bruise about 3 cm long on the outer base edge, a second faint white bruise nearby that measures about 1 cm long, and some wire rubbing on the side opposite the bruises. This description makes the piece sound much worse than it is. It's actually in pretty nice shape for what is probably a 145+ year old piece of porcelain.

I'm asking $45 USD plus shipping for this one. I'm always happy to trade for early Canadian glass or Canadian-made porcelain insulators. I accept PayPal, or personal cheque from any member of ICON or any collector with whom I have dealt before. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or for more photos, and look through my other items or unsold sales stock to combine shipping on items.