Although many collectors call this the Victor [letter] "O," in the style of the earlier E, M, MS etc., this was originally referred to as the Victor [number] "0" or zero. When Victor released their revamped line-up of machines in 1903, numbered (in Roman numerals) I through VI, the gamut covered the full range of quality and price from lowest ($25) to highest ($100). In 1908, when Victor elected to market a less expensive machine (at $17.50), the only way to designate it below the Victor I and remain consistent in their nomenclature was to call it the Victor Zero! (That sort of marketing sounds odd to 21st century ears, but a century ago it was considered a purely objective term.)

The Victor Zero is a diminutive rear-mount machine with a single-spring motor and an undersized (for the era) 8" turntable. The reproducer is a specially designed Exhibition which has features that are unique to the "0." Curiously for an inexpensive machine, the cabinet is made of mahogany rather than the oak typically found in the Victor line. It is also unusually decorative for a Victor, with an amber-colored horn accented with mahogany-red highlights around the outer edges of the petals. It is one of the most attractive machines in the early 20th century Victor catalog and is very hard to find in excellent original condition.