The fuel pickup (not shown) is a simple tube and there is a supplementary generator heater threaded into the mixing chamber casting (middle images). After preheating with a torch, a row of small flames come out of the rear of the heater, directed at the upper part of the Q77 generator. This lantern, in Greg McCartney’s collection, is date stamped April 1929 (lower image). This 200A has a factory finished, white painted fount. These may have been made in a limited number to give to dealers that Coleman wanted to recognize for their service to the company. There is nothing engraved on the lantern as on a plated fount presentation lantern.
The construction of the above 228B built in May 1930 includes a swaged bail that will only fit in the key slot on the frame member when it is under the frame. As a result the bail will not detach from an assembled lantern. Beginning in May, 1927, Coleman changed the design of the integral pump from built-on (above) to built-in, as on this lantern in Ron Becker’s collection. L427s built after this date all have the built-in pump. You can adjust the light output with the tip cleaner stem or the valve, depending on the model.
Any leak is unacceptable and must be located before you light it. This Coleman 200A lantern has been modified with an elaborate globe cage and 3 cylindrical globes, the innermost being a Fresnel coleman lantern lens. An outer infrared filter keeps visible light from shining out the sides. This lantern was made for the military to help direct planes to airfields in or near enemy territory.
The potential markets were missionaries and rural communities that lacked electric power, according to a 1949 Coleman News. These undated lanterns are in Greg McCartney’s, left, and Shirley Willard’s, right, collections. The Charles Beseler Co. also made a similar projector for this lantern (below). Among the items in the museum are Coleman hot plates, an electric brew (coffee pot), a taste oven and irons, as well as all types of Coleman lamps and lanterns.
Open the valve one-quarter turn and wait for the mantle(s) to ignite. Install a new mantle or mantles on your lantern. Hold a match or lighter to the bottom and allow it (them) to burn completely. These instructions were written to help you safely light and operate an old lantern coleman lantern that you have not lit before, or has been in storage for a very long time. Contact our team to talk to a factory expert to help you choose the right model based on your needs. If it has a strong really sharp smell, that is varnish from old gasoline that has gone stale.
If it smells real bad you might need to tear it apart to clean the internal parts. Remove the fuel filler cap and pour all the old fuel into an approved container for disposal. You can find a local hazardous waste recycling facility by doing an internet search. If you have no previous knowledge of the lantern you are working with, or if you do not know how long it has been sitting, please perform each step. This will help you confirm that your lantern is safe to use, and that it functions as in should. If you need to make any repairs, I will provide links to other sections of this website.
Coleman made this mil-spec lantern that is date stamped 1952 on the bottom. At some point after that the Civil Defense waterslide decal was added to this unfired lantern. This lantern and another one with the 1952 date and a CD decal came from a seller in Michigan. There was no other Civil Defense material with the lanterns or the mil-spec boxes they came in.