Coleman in Wichita made Model 237 lanterns for a number of years. This 237, in John Stendahl’s collection, is date stamped May, 1961. This model is kerosene fueled, has an alcohol preheater cup, and is rated at 500 cp.
This 228E dated June, 1961 is stenciled USFS on the lower side of the fount. Since the fount is steel, the letters have surface rust now. Normally the USFS bought Model 220 lanterns, rather than 228 lanterns, for their use. The non-metallic green paint on the lantern appears to be original. The lantern was rescued from the trash at the Region 1 Forest Service headquarters in Missoula, Montana, and is now in Mark Booth’s collection.
Coleman painted the founts of Models 220E & 228E metallic green for a short time in 1961. This pair is date stamped July ’61, The 220E (left) is in Dean DeGroff’s collection while the 228E is in Ronnie Hardison’s collection. They have the same features as other 220E & 228E’s of the period except for the fount color. Coleman used a similar paint color on coolers at that time.
This Coleman parts rack dates to circa 1960. It was used in a former sports shop on the Gulf Coast. Several of the jars still have parts in them. The Coleman logo at the top is silk-screened. This parts rack is in Tim Treutler’s collection
Kamp-Site Products Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, made this #101 Kamp Kan that will hold a 200A lantern. The Kamp Kan is a little larger than Coleman’s Handy Pail from the 1930’s that was made for 242 series lanterns. This Kamp Kan, in Dwayne Hanson’s collection, came with newspaper padding dated Jan. 14, 1963.
Two months before this 228E was made Coleman changed several parts including the now ribbed collar that is usually associated with the 220F & 228F that followed several months later. Some collectors refer to these later 220E & 228E lanterns as transitional This lantern, dated Jan. 1963, is in John Stendahl’s collection.
Coleman made these 3 models for Sears in July (left) and May (center and right), ’64. Model 476.74550 (left) is a single mantle lantern comparable to Coleman 200A. Model 476.74060 (center) is comparable to Coleman 220E, while Model 476.74070 (right) is comparable to Coleman 228E from the same period. Model 476.74550 is in Tim Treutler’s collection while Models 476.74060 and 476.74070 are in Doug Dwyer’s collection. The founts on the latter two mantle models are shorter than the comparable Coleman models.
When Coleman made the first of the above series of lanterns for Sears (Oct. 1963) the Sears circular decal appeared on one side of the fount (upper image), and the lighting instruction decal (lower image) appeared under the valve wheel. Later the two decals were combined as in the above series. This Model 476.74060 lantern is in Dan Bennett’s collection.
This model is usually referred to as the mil(itary) spec(ification) lantern. Coleman had the contract to build this model for the military in 1965. The lantern features a four quadrant globe, an aluminum generator that feeds the mantle from above, and a parts well in the fount. This lantern is in Doug Davis’s collection.
These Coleman lanterns were manufactured for Sears and carry the Ted Williams signature. A modified model 228 but comparable to a model 202 in that it has a stainless steel globe cage and bail and a nickel plated brass fount. The lantern on the left, 476.7020, is dated Nov. ’65 and is in Fred Kuntz’s collection. The lantern on the right, 476.70200, in Chad Wise’s collection, is dated Nov. ’67.
This is the complete set of 1966-67 Sears lanterns, made by Coleman. Models on the left, 476.74070, and center, 476.74060, are two mantle while the one on the right, 476.74550, is the single mantle model. These are in Dwayne Hanson’s collection.
Two of the most common US Coleman models are the 220F (left) and 228F (right). They can be readily identified by the horizontal ribs on the globe rest and the five rectangular vent holes. The 220F is date stamped Nov. ’63, the first month this model was produced, and the 228F is date stamped Feb. ’66.
This early mil-spec prototype lantern has a 220F stamped bottom plate dated July 1966. The fount has no instructional decals (left image) and the filler cap has the remains of a cut-off wire that likely once attached a funnel and the filler plug to the collar as on the prototype below. The burner assembly includes an unusual burner cap (right image). This lantern is in Chris Becnel’s collection.
This mil-spec prototype lantern is dated June, 1969, three years after the prototype above and several years before the later prototype seen on this page. The patented design filed in May 1968 includes reflective surfaces to keep the temperature lower in the burner parts so that lead in the fuel is deposited in the ventilator and upper globe rather than on the burner parts and lower globe. This lantern is in Marty Edwards’ collection.
Coleman experimented with Model 220G several years before they went into limited production. This lantern, date stamped July 1964, is identified on the collar as Model 220F but also with an added, stamped S in the lower right corner (lower image). The base plate center is removable and slotted to receive the offset fuel valve and a label on the bottom has a special two year warranty. This lantern is in Kameron Bissell’s collection.
This Coleman 220G, in the Coleman Repair Center, is date stamped Aug. 1969. Presumably a small number of them were made to test a change in the incorporation of the tip cleaner assembly at a right angle in the valve body casting (lower). These images were taken by Steve Ream.
In Sept. 1969 Coleman returned to production of Model 220F and is correctly identified as such on the collar, but the bottom stamping identifies it as a 220G (lower). This lantern is in Kurt Kuiper’s collection.
Coleman made these lanterns for Sears in this color scheme with white lettered decals between spring 1967 and fall 1970. They include Model 476.72211 dated September 1970 (upper left), Model 476.72212 dated December 1969 (upper right), and Model 476.72213 dated March 1969 (lower). These lanterns are in Mike Metott’s collection.
This well made case holds a 220 series lantern nicely. Toby Penwell has found two of them in the Columbus, Ohio, area. The top is fitted to the bottom with bayonet mounts (upper image).
© 2000-2023 Terry Marsh
The Terrence Marsh Lantern Gallery 