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 coleman 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.
Once the mantle(s) start to burn steady (but dim) open the valve all the way and pump more air into the fount for maximum brightness. Press the pump handle down and lightly place your finger over the hole in the end. If the pump raises, you need to clean or replace your check valve. Make sure that the valve wheel is turned fully clockwise to the closed position. Rotate the pump handle counterclockwise one full turn, place your thumb over the hole in the end and give it a few pumps.
The lightweight Coleman® Kids 44 Lumens Adventure Mini LED Lantern works well when camping with kids or as a portable bedside light. It has one of the longest runtimes you’ll find in a light of its size—up to 16 hours on 4 AA batteries (sold separately). Plus, the lifetime coleman lantern LEDs run cool and never need to be replaced. Taking cues from the floorplans and lifestyle to create a balance of comfort and timeless designs ensures the design intersects style and performance. Creating a space that you are proud to live in, share, and call HOME.
They were the first Coleman model to have a pump as part of the lantern. These lanterns are in Shirley Willard’s (left)& Dean DeGroff’s (right) collections. Ian Keates, who bought this lantern in Switzerland for his collection, does not believe that it had been disassembled before. By November, 1951, Coleman’s Model 200A had been introduced, replacing Model 200 above. These earliest 200A lanterns had green painted steel founts and, by November, also had the Coleman decal. We believe this lantern is a Model 221, a kerosene fueled version of their Model 220 above (McRae).
Click here for an owner’s manual on your lantern if you don’t have one. Remove the ventilator and globe, then spray the lantern with a household cleaner like Simple Green®. Remove as much dirt and dust as you can and remove the old mantle(s).
Other L427 pump handles have a nearly flat top or a top with rounded lobes. The Coleman Quick-Lite 327 was sold from 1920 to 1924 from the Wichita (USA) plant with no date stamp. This lantern, in Ron Lenfield’s collection, includes the box and accessories.
If there is no resistance when pressing down on the pump, you will need to repair it before continuing. Coleman made this inverted lantern for military trial. A similar lantern was made by The Mantle Lamp Co. of America.
This will clear dirt and insect nests out of the tubes. This Coleman 237 is date stamped November, 1960. The instruction sheet identifies it as a US made “Marine lantern” perhaps in an attempt to develop a new market for the model. The preheater cup contains an asbestos-like material (lower image), perhaps to keep the alcohol from splashing out of the cup on a boat on water. This lantern, in Andy Maschino’s collection, is stamped Made in Canada on the side of the fount but in all other features is the same as those made for the US market.
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 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.
This early 220D has all the same features as the 228D above but is date stamped B 47. The two piece stamped burner (lower image) was used on a number of lamps and lantern models for a short time after WWII before Coleman returned to cast burners. This MF143 lantern is stamped Sunshine Safety Lamp Co. on the baffle plate and is a built-in pump version of Model MF125 above. By 1931 Coleman had renamed its Sunshine Safety subsidiary to Sunshine Products, however, the baffle plates are always found stamped Sunshine Safety Lamp Co. so Coleman may have been using up old parts. The brackets in the middle portion of the ventilator center the mica globe (image above).