Last month, Crown Jewels asked collectors if anyone could confirm long standing rumors of a CD 201 California in purple. Colin Jung responded with the following letter:

I have been investigating the purple 201 legend for several years now and can supply a few details. The April 1969 Old Bottle Magazine Insulator By Lines column is in error. Editor Frances Terrill wrote that collectors Jim Sanders and Ron Ipswitch..." were poking around an old line looking for 1 piece Brookfields when they noticed No. 10 which appeared to be a little slimmer than average CD201 or Hem. 2. It turned out to be a new purple Calif. which we had not heard of before."

I spoke to Jim Sanders recently and he told me they never found a purple CD201 California. Rather, he and his collecting friends found purple CD200 Californias on a Santa Monica fire alarm line and a few aqua CD201 Californias on various Southern California railroad lines mixed in with look alike CD201 Hemingrays. Jim thinks Frances got the reports mixed up and ended up creating a new find. Jim says he never knew if Frances printed the discoveries in the Insulator By Lines column, otherwise he would have corrected her.

Fortunately, the story of the purple CD201 does not end there. I have to apologize for leaving certain details out because I hope to see it in person one day. The story goes that a collector picked a purple CD201 Cal in the late 1950's - early 1960's in California. He subsequently relocated east of California and became inactive and out of contact with the mainstream hobby, although he still enjoys displaying his collection.

An active collector who has personally seen the piece has confirmed to me the existence of this purple CD201 California, but will not disclose the owner or location as he hopes to acquire the 201 for his/her collection in the future. According to the witness, the coloration is the normal California purple color, and not the result of intentional irradiation. I have no reason to doubt this witness / collector's credibility.

I have a notebook where I have recorded other California insulator legends. If you have other California stories to tell, I would enjoy hearing them.

Colin Jung, #7055 
6-year Collector of California Insulators