HMV S.B. No.4 N.G.

When the opportunity came along to get a boxed spare soundbox for the HMV 101, jumped at it and got this 'new' boxed No. 4 soundbox.

The box has been opened of course, the soundbox also likely has been used and judging from marks on the screws has been serviced. This servicing may of course have been some decades ago though.

The now salmon coloured wrapper originally was a more bright orange, judging from the bit left on the bottom of the box.

The soundbox is held in place by the thick card supports.

This is the first version of the number 4 soundbox with the short rubber at the back, lettering in front behind the mica and is all brass. The later iterations of the number 4 had the back made from Zamac. The Zamac wears very badly over time, that makes repairing these pot-metal soundboxes very risky. Even though they really need new gaskets, they can just crumble when taking them apart. The chance to have a boxed spare seemed a good plan before tackling the hard gaskets of the HMV 101's later pot-metal backed soundbox.

A 'new' spare HMV soundbox number 4 in its original packaging from '25 / '26.

Not sure what the N.G. in the type designation on the label is for. Could that be 'New Generation'?