# Oldest code book



## Shaggy825 (Oct 27, 2011)

Have ran across a code book from 1947. I googled it and the first nec was written in 1897. I'm a nerd so to me this is very interesting. Does anyone have an oldie copy? Maybe the holy grail of nec's an original 1897? How much would one cost?


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## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

480 has some old ones.

Pete


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

I have one I bought from 480. The 1962 edition. It's interesting but New Jersey didn't recognize the NEC until around that time, so..


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

Pete m. said:


> 480 has some old ones.
> 
> Pete


yeah he's the guy to talk to: I'm sure he knows typical ebay prices; he has a near perfect set of code books going back to 1897 or whatever


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## Shaggy825 (Oct 27, 2011)

I would love a complete collection. Any insite on collecting these would be great. I also have been finding aulders builders book. Also very interesting.


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## Roger (Jul 7, 2007)

You can download a copy of the 1899 National Electrical Code HERE

Roger


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Shaggy825 said:


> Have ran across a code book from 1947. I googled it and the first nec was written in 1897. I'm a nerd so to me this is very interesting. Does anyone have an oldie copy? Maybe the holy grail of nec's an original 1897? How much would one cost?



There's two versions of the 1897. The August version, generally accepted as the 'first' NEC. There was also a April edition, used as a proof-reading draft.

An original 1897 will set you back about 2 grand. Mine is a 1986 reproduction.











I also have an 1895.











Language of the NEC can be traced back to 1880's.




Shaggy825 said:


> I would love a complete collection. Any insite on collecting these would be great. I also have been finding aulders builders book. Also very interesting.



I've never heard of a complete collection. I'm short 14, Mike Holt is missing 7-8, and even the NFPA has 6 holes to fill.

1947 is pretty common. After WWII, the paper rations were lifted and _everyone _bought a new copy. Once you get back to 1930, the price starts to climb radically as you get further back. I track selling prices, and the collection I have as of today runs about $10,000.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I have every NEC from mid 50's to date, then a selection of random years back to 1918 (I think it is 1916 somewhere close)


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## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

I know technology has advanced a bit since the 1800's but do we really need a code book, today, that is as thick as some phone books?

I hate to say this but some of the codes that exist today are there to protect the uneducated that really have no business working on electrical equipment to begin with.

Pete


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

brian john said:


> I have every NEC from mid 50's to date, then a selection of random years back to 1918 (I think it is 1916 somewhere close)


The printing years are on page one of your current NEC. I think you have the '18, as there was no '16.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Pete m. said:


> I know technology has advanced a bit since the 1800's but do we really need a code book, today, that is as thick as some phone books?.........


Paper copies are usually required by the AHJs that adopt the NEC, simply so no one can claim computer illiteracy.


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## Pete m. (Nov 19, 2011)

480sparky said:


> Paper copies are usually required by the AHJs that adopt the NEC, simply so no one can claim computer illiteracy.


I can claim computer illiteracy daily although I'm still amazed at the amount of illiteracy claimed almost daily whether it be paper or not when it comes to the NEC.

Pete


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## Shaggy825 (Oct 27, 2011)

Thanks for the info 480. I paid $15 for this one and I plan to get more into it. Just wanted to do some checking. I googled it and can't find a pic of an original. Must be hard to find.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Sales data as of an hour ago:

(Year, average selling price, number sold)

1987 7.58 37 
1984 8.47 46 
1981 11.96 46 
1978 12.07 53 
1975 11.64 71 
1971 11.67 93 
1968 18.05 83 
1965 33.80 78 
1962 27.03 122 
1960 22.55 4 
1959 26.06 130 
1958 65.01 2 
1957 86.37 6 
1956 43.94 125 
1955 20.49 10 
1954 0.00 0 
1953 34.33 118 
1951 32.94 101 
1949 48.36 14 
1947 31.89 180 
1943 100.01 6 
1942 187.50 1 
1940 w/45 insert 177.50 1 
1940w/ 43 insert 44.59 14 
1940w/ 42 insert 37.55 8 
1940 46.77 115 
1937 79.79 70 
1935 129.37 20 
1933 115.17 19 
1931 153.80 23 
1930 140.78 18 
1928 156.15 16 
1926 131.79 6 
1925 160.67 30 
1923 255.25 19 
1920 253.23 20 
1918 467.25 6 
1915 373.17 9 
1913 590.52 3 
1911 522.81 4 
1909 526.50 3 
1907 1025.00 1 
1905 0.00 0 
1904 0.00 0 
1903 333.49 3 
1901 116.28 8 
1899 1924.00 1 
1897 1926.00 1


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## Shaggy825 (Oct 27, 2011)

That's great info! Where did you get it from? Seems like there are not a lot of 1903 to 1905 versions. Thanks for your help.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Shaggy825 said:


> Thanks for the info 480. I paid $15 for this one and I plan to get more into it. Just wanted to do some checking. I googled it and can't find a pic of an original. Must be hard to find.


Hard to find as they weren't printed for general distribution to field electricians. Mostly engineers, inspectors, etc. were 'worthy' of a copy.

And even today, they're treated like phone books: New one comes out, and most ditch their old ones.



Shaggy825 said:


> That's great info! Where did you get it from? Seems like there are not a lot of 1903 to 1905 versions. Thanks for your help.


I keep track of the sales on Ebay. That's where you'll find most of them for sale. Log each sale into an Excel spreadsheet. Books that don't sell don't get recorded as they would skew the actual sales average (i.e., if average selling price is $100, and some greedy bastid lists one for a BIN of $10,000, of course it won't sell, and a 0 will merely lower the actual value).

There's no data on how many were actually printed, at least in the early years. I'm sure in more modern times, the NFPA could find out how many actually were printed. For those two issues, I've never seen one come up for sale.


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## Shaggy825 (Oct 27, 2011)

That's so funny. Worthy if a copy. Still have trouble getting a copy from company owners. Like the guys in the field don't need to know what's going on.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

The 2014 NEC is not worth the paper it's printed on.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

brian john said:


> I have every NEC from mid 50's to date, then a selection of random years back to 1918 (I think it is 1916 somewhere close)



Yeah,I took My Journeymen test on the* 1916..*:whistling2:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

MTW said:


> The 2014 NEC is not worth the paper it's printed on.



Get it on your ipad...:thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

There's a couple of 1901 reproductions listed right now, BIN $49,95.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111284361580

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111284364664


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## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

*good reading*



Roger said:


> You can download a copy of the 1899 National Electrical Code HERE
> 
> Roger


I like the part about making wire mold out of wood.

I have a book called "MODERN ELECTRIC" from 1914 or so, it seems to have everything in there nothing has changed much


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

just the cowboy said:


> I like the part about making wire mold out of wood.


I have a piece of that.




















My oldest book is_ Munro and Jamieson's Pocket Book of Electrical Rules and Tables_, 1888, London.


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## Mshea (Jan 17, 2011)

I have a city of Victoria Electrical bylaw written in 1913. It predates the first Canadian Electrical code by 14 years. The victoria code was cobbled together from the Early NEC along with the railroad and telegraph rules and some mining rules. It was developed along with the city of Vancouver, portland and Seattle. I like to call it the Cascadia electrical code.
We have the complete CEC from 1927 to today. both the NEC and CEC were much more alike back then and many of the rules in both books were identicle with different numbering systems.


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## Drsparky14 (Oct 22, 2016)

I would love to find a PDF of the 1940, 1943, and 1947 versions of the NEC as I’m always working in these old home built in the 40’s during the war.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

This is the oldest code book I could find. Like the NEC, I only use it as a rough guideline


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Drsparky14 said:


> I would love to find a PDF of the 1940, 1943, and 1947 versions of the NEC as I’m always working in these old home built in the 40’s during the war.


I have NEC's dating back to 1916, with a few years missing. Looking to sell as a set.


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## BEC51392 (Jan 1, 2021)




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## Navyguy (Mar 15, 2010)

BEC51392 said:


> View attachment 152856


I would like to get that in a poster for my shop...

I think it would make good gifts also...

Cheers
John


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## Viggmundir (Sep 13, 2019)

That would be a sweet poster! I'd totally put one up at my place too. Amazing how much things have changed in 70 years.


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## BEC51392 (Jan 1, 2021)

Changed? What do you mean? You dont taste your wires?


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