Gramophone Company Ltd (HMV) needle tins, boxes, packets and containers found in UK and Australia

My thanks to Chris Macdonad whose text form the basis and idea for this page and the authors of "The collectors guide to "His master's voice" Nipper souvenirs.

The first tin appeared at the beginning of 1902. This was an embossed grey (known as the "White Metal") tin, without a paper inlay, and manufactured by The Gramophone and Typewriter Company Limited. until late 1903. The tin pictured is a French version.

In October 1903 the first enameled red tin was produced. The tin had the word "Copyright" beneath the words "His Master's Voice" at the top of the tin. and the words Registered Trade Mark underneath the gramophone logo. Although there was no needle quality printed on the tin, they were known as the Gramophone Needle or Standard Needle. This tin included a black paper inlay. 

This red tin isn't referenced in the info I have and is identical to the first red enamel tin released in 1903 by the Gramophone and Typewriter Co. However, it clearly has Gramophone Co Ltd on the back. It also doesn't have the words Registered Trade Mark between the dog and the gramophone which occurred by 1905. I've also not seen reference to special needle as printed on the seal. My guess its somewhere between 1903-1905.

In May and June 1905 two more tins appeared to join the red. The basic design remained unchanged, but had the words Registered Trade Mark moved to between the gramophone and the dog's front paws. We also start to see the type of needle indicated on the tins.

The first was a green tin with the description "Pianissimo" below the gramophone (1/2 size depth tin?). Image required.

The only Pianissimo tin I have is quite different and likely produced outside of the UK (India?) either officially or a cheeky copy. There are quite a few examples of other tins like this that have yellow instead of gold back and sides and a more simplistic approach to the text on the back. This one like the original Pianissimo is not as deep as most other tins. It also comes without a hinge. 

The second was a mauve (realistically deep blue) tin with the words "The Melba Needle." Melba needles are very different in their design and marketed as very high quality. Not my image.

The next coloured tin was Yellow and appeared in 1907 as "Piano", with exactly the same layout as the "Pianissimo". image needed. 

In 1913 the descriptive wording was altered to "The Piano Needle" and "The Pianissimo". "The Melba Needle" was discontinued in 1915.

Interestingly the Pianissimo tin I have, is only half the depth of the other tins but still holds 200 needles.

The next significant change was in 1919. The Red tin now had the words "Loud Tone" added, the green tin was changed to "Soft Tone" and the yellow tin was changed to "Half Tone".

This is where things start to get more complicated. Suttle changes occurred over the lifetime of these tins. Not only in the front design and text on the back, but we start to see text on the rim denoting where they are made.

Let's look at these 3 tins in more detail.

From 1919 the red and green tins had the word "Copyright" in yellow text (as per the earlier tins) or white. All have the "Registered Trade Mark" text (in black), now moved to between Nipper and the gramophone (for the red tin this may have occurred back in 1905 when the green and yellow tins were released). The back now states, "Approximately 200 English Gramophone Needles The Gramophone Company Limited". No longer confident that there would always be exactly 200 needles per tin?

We also see an Australian export version with the text "Manufactured for the Gramophone Company Limited Sydney NSW. The "copyright" text is white or yellow. We also seen a more modern font.

red tin here

In October 1924 the new dark blue "Extra Loud" tin is introduced. It follows the same design as the red, yellow and green tins. Both UK and Australian export versions shown. 

The next tin design appears in 1936. This version now has the text "Picture Copyright" in white text (also yellow?). The red and green tins now have "Made in England" on the front rim of the lid. The yellow tin I have has "Made in Britain".  Did this change occur sometime between this and the next tin design. The blue "Extra Lound" tin pictured is unusual as its less glossy, is not hinged, does not have any text on its rim lid and has additional text "Incorporated in England with limited liability" all suggesting manufactured elsewhere?

We continue to see tins with the same design referencing the Gramophone Company Ltd New South Wales.

Red, green, yellow and blue Aus Picture Copyright tins here

Also, a 100-needle version is sold. Did it cover all 4 types and where they all 1/2 depth tins?

The next tin design (1945-50 tbc) see's the words "Picture Copyright" removed from the top, and the "Registered Trade Mark" now in white print between the gramophone and the dog's front paws. The text "Made in Gt Britain replaces "made in England" on the front lid rim. The text on the rear is the same but now in a more modern font. 

yellow, blue no copyright to go here.

Between 1945 and 1950 HMV tins made for export to Australia also had the words "Picture Copyright" removed from the top, to be replaced by two lines, "Trade Mark" and "Picture Copyright" placed in black print between the gramophone and the dog's front paws. The wording on the front edge of the tin was also removed. Text on the back referencing that it was manufactured for the Gramophone Co Ltd Sydney NSW. 

Here is another variation of this tin. The front of the tin matches the green example above however the back does not reference that it was manufactured for the Gramophone Co Ltd Sydney NSW. Instead, it states "Made in England".

The dark blue "Extra Loud Tone" and "Fibre Needles" were discontinued in the UK in 1946.The red tin ceased to be produced by 1961, and the green and yellow tins had ceased by 1963.

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Also 1919 saw the introduction of "The Tungstyle" in Blue packets of

four needles, described as "Full Tone".
In 1920 a four section tin, having divisions for "Loud", "Half and
"Soft" Tone needles, and, in addition, a slot for "Used" needles, was
introduced (6).
The Extra Loud "Tungstyle" appeared in similar packets in 1922.
In 1923 an aluminium "match striker" box was introduced for "Soft
Tone" (7), "Half Tone" (8) and "Loud Tone" (9), but all were discontinued
after about 18 months.
In October 1924 the Dark Blue "Extra Loud Tone" (10) was introduced.
Also in 1924 "The Tungstyle" was marketed in tins for the first time.
Both on a Cream background the "Loud" was in Red (12) and the "Extra
Loud" in Blue (13).
In 1927 a Dark Blue tin similar to the "Extra Loud Tone" was
introduced, but contained "Fibre Needles" (11).
A further "Tungstyle" was introduced in 1928 - the "Soft". The
background was now changed from Cream to a solid Green ("Soft")
(14), Red ("Loud") (15 & 15a) or Dark Blue ("Extra Loud") (16). Some
can be found with the word "Patent" added (15a & 16).
"Hi-Fidelity" long playing needles were introduced in 1934 in a small
slotted cardboard packet of 10 with a fold-over lid, printed in Brownish
Red on Gold.
In 1936/37 the word "Copyright" was changed to "Picture Copyright",
and "Made in England" was added to the front lip of the tin lid (17-21).
In August 1938 the "Silent Stylus" (22) was introduced for the HMV
Hypersensitive Pick-up, packaged in a similar way to the "Hi-Fidelity"
needles of 1934, but printed in Black on Bronze.

The Green and Yellow tins were temporarily withdrawn between 1942-
1945.
"The Tungstyle" was withdrawn between 1944-1945.
Between 1945 and 1950 HMV tins made for export had the words
"Picture Copyright" removed from the top, to be replaced by two lines,
"Trade Mark" and "Picture Copyright" placed in black print between the
gramophone and the dog's front paws. The wording on the front edge of
the tin was also removed.
The Dark Blue "Extra Loud Tone" and "Fibre Needles" were discontinued
in the UK in 1946.
"Trailer Needles" were introduced in 1948 and were sold in packets.
Also in 1948 the "Hi-Fidelity" needle packaging colour was changed to
Crimson on Gold (23).
In 1949 cardboard boxes were introduced with wrap-around paper labels
for "Soft Tone" (Green) (24), "Half Tone" (Yellow) (25) and "Loud Tone"
(Red, more like Magenta) (26). The needles were prone to rusting in
this type of packaging and were quickly phased out.
In 1950 tins with much brighter colours were produced. The words
"Picture Copyright" were removed, "Registered Trade Mark" appear in
white between the gramophone and dog, and the "Made in Gt. Britain"
appears on the front lip of the tin lid (27-30).
"Trailer Needles" were discontinued in 1958.
The Red tin ceased to be produced by 1961, and the Green and Yellow
tins had ceased by 1963.
1964 saw the withdrawal of the "Hi-Fidelity" and the "Silent Stylus".
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