This vintage Zenith Royal 59 (Model R59C) transistor radio from the early 1960s is in excellent condition and includes the original box. Considered a pocket size radio it weighs 7 oz. and measures 2.8 x 4.5 x 1.4 inches. Powered by 2 AA batteries the radio has eight transistors, a 2.4 inch speaker, a built in antenna, and picks up AM standard broadcast stations.
The Royal 50 family consists of three generations that were produced from 1960 through 1963. They represented Zenith’s entry into the smaller 6 transistor shirt pocket sized radios and was their answer to the sets coming out of Japan like the Sony TR610 and the Hitachi 666 both of which started in 1958.
The Royal 50’s offered great sound quality for their size and were built with high quality components that allowed them to stand up to years of use. They produce 80 milliwatts of undistorted sound. Because of their styling and performance, Royal 50’s remain a popular choice of collectors today. However, with the increasing competition from overseas and the constant introduction of new pocket-sized radios, this series had a much shorter production run than it’s big brother the Royal 500.
During the early 1960’s, Zenith continued to produce some other styles of shirt pocket sized transistors that were manufactured in the USA until 1965.
The Royal 59 – The family continued into model year 1965 with the introduction of the Royal 59. A similar sized set, this one had 8 transistors and packed a punch. It’s beautiful grill and smart circular dial make it quite attractive as well. It was offered in three color combinations. Even with the additional two transistors, the suggested price was still under $20.00
This radio had one previous owner and was received as a gift while attending a convention in San Francisco in 1964. It looks like the owner may have used it a couple of times (there are a few scratches where you insert the batteries), but other than that it is in excellent condition with no other scratches. The case looks brand new. The radio works and plays loud and clear. Original batteries were included, but were in the box and NOT in the radio (that's a good thing!). New batteries were used to test the radio. The earpiece also works well. The original box has a little wear on the one corner. That's it. It has probably been in a drawer since 1964.
Watch the unboxing and demo on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/CpFrcCPcs6M
The Royal 50 family consists of three generations that were produced from 1960 through 1963. They represented Zenith’s entry into the smaller 6 transistor shirt pocket sized radios and was their answer to the sets coming out of Japan like the Sony TR610 and the Hitachi 666 both of which started in 1958.
The Royal 50’s offered great sound quality for their size and were built with high quality components that allowed them to stand up to years of use. They produce 80 milliwatts of undistorted sound. Because of their styling and performance, Royal 50’s remain a popular choice of collectors today. However, with the increasing competition from overseas and the constant introduction of new pocket-sized radios, this series had a much shorter production run than it’s big brother the Royal 500.
During the early 1960’s, Zenith continued to produce some other styles of shirt pocket sized transistors that were manufactured in the USA until 1965.
The Royal 59 – The family continued into model year 1965 with the introduction of the Royal 59. A similar sized set, this one had 8 transistors and packed a punch. It’s beautiful grill and smart circular dial make it quite attractive as well. It was offered in three color combinations. Even with the additional two transistors, the suggested price was still under $20.00
This radio had one previous owner and was received as a gift while attending a convention in San Francisco in 1964. It looks like the owner may have used it a couple of times (there are a few scratches where you insert the batteries), but other than that it is in excellent condition with no other scratches. The case looks brand new. The radio works and plays loud and clear. Original batteries were included, but were in the box and NOT in the radio (that's a good thing!). New batteries were used to test the radio. The earpiece also works well. The original box has a little wear on the one corner. That's it. It has probably been in a drawer since 1964.
Watch the unboxing and demo on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/CpFrcCPcs6M