Fellow Enthusiasts: I have made some assertion in the past about Arc Lanterns from Coleman having been marketed as “Burnished and Lacquered” in addition to the more commonly found advertising of the “Nickel Plated” version to other collectors for some years. The opposition was any examples of these found were said to be the product of the Yale Light Co. subsidiary, even though their advertising also stated nickel plate as well, to my knowledge no documents have been found to support that. .
Advertising shows us the first Coleman Arc lanterns L316 and AL both were equipped with the single row hole collar. The images also show the tubular type support on L316. I have not found any advertising stating nickel plating until September 1914, by that time 4493 had been shipped. Earliest images found so far of the three hole collar is 1917 although my opinion this change likely took place in 1916, the bracket type burner evolved before the collar change.
This is the earliest advertisement I’ve found for the “AL” that began shipping the following month after this.
//////::::::::……….. According to Hiram Strong original shipping records the first “L316” Arc shipments from Coleman to “Sunshine and Yale” were December 1915 and January 1916 (in that order) two years since “Coleman and Guy Hunter” had begun marketing them.
