Mike's label:
June 1925- early 1926 first Viva-tonal-style label with one line of registration text and three patent dates (Aug. 11, ’08, Jan. 21, '13 and May 22, '23) at the top of two lines at the bottom, cf. M. Sherman & K. Nauck, "Note the Notes," page 31. (e.g., 15038-D, Jan. 1926)
Ron's label:
Early 1926 Viva-Tonal style label without the words "Viva-tonal Recording", with one line of registration text under the logo on top and two patent dates (Jan. 21, '13 and May 22, '23) at the bottom, cf. M. Sherman & K. Nauck, "Note the Notes," page 31.
The original February 1925 release must have been on a Flag label with white patent text with Inc. after the company name, cf. M. Sherman & K. Nauck, "Note the Notes," page 30.
Hi Mike Gann,
this one was definitely not released in December 1924 (as you suggested "based on recording dates from surrounding releases") but in February 1925 (announced for March, see TMW link in the notes). Even the previous Riley Puckett record on #240-D was released in 1925, as announced in TMW January 1925. What I cannot verify though are the dates of the early numbers in the 15000-D series, as suggested by Praguefrank.
The first TMW issue available on the web with numbers of the 15000-D series is from July 1926, starting with 15078-D. All the following releases until June 1928 have been verified, and I have also added presumable release dates for the first months of 1926, starting with 15054-D in February 1926 (and there is a verified November 1925 date for 15042-D, see there).
Anyway I have no idea if the first numbers of the 15000-D series were actually released in (October) 1924.