[Ron Ramirez]

Model 34 did hit the market in January 1934, but it was not assigned model number 34 because of the year. The model number starts with a 3 because it is a battery-operated radio. They had already built a model 30, 31, 35, 36, 37 and 38, so the next logical (illogical) number was...34. Plus, model 32 was introduced at the same time; this was a model 89 modified to run on 32 volt DC power used on some farms at that time and built in a larger cathedral cabinet to accommodate the large external vibrator power supply.

January 1934 was halfway through one of Philco's selling season. The 1935 models were introduced in June 1934, and model 34 remained in the lineup, only in new cabinets. It was at this time that the original two-position tone control was switched to four position.

Yes, the interstage (input) transformer probably is the original, and would indicate that it was built between December 1934 and February 1935, probably closer to December '34 but not necessarily in that exact month. So your 34 was built during Philco's 1935 selling season.