Here is the X246b with the plated hood, that I bought a while ago. Seems to be in fairly good condition probably only fired once or twice. The gold paint on the tank seems to be of very poor quality with streaks in, almost as if the paint wasn't properly mixed. Not really something of real beauty but I guess it's more about the rarity of the thing.
The streaks are maybe another consequence of the power shortages in those years these lamps were made, meaning »We had no electricity, so we had to stir the paint by hand« Otherwise an interesting example of the plated hood version.
I think mine are/were August 1973 but February 1972 would coincide with either one of the miners or the power workers strikes. I was at college at that time and I can remember the 3-hour power cuts we had to endure. I wish I'd had a couple of Tilley lanterns with me. Anyway, the plated hoods were due to there being insufficient electricity to produce the temperatures required for vitreous enamelling. Tilley put a small slip of paper with a type-written explanatory note into the packaging... Anybody seen a gold-plated Tilley hood?
