The 17 Designs That Bell Almost Used for the Layout of Telephone Buttons

The C column comes from the rotary dial pattern - but only VI-C mimics the counter-clockwise number layout of the rotary dial (the dial was pulled clockwise and rotated counter-clockwise to make the on/off-hook clicks to dial.)

Were these C/circle layouts early skeuomorphics, or included as several 'duck' alternatives? (included but intended to be rejected).

II-A and VI-B appear to be the same layout, but one has a "significantly shorter keying time" and the other is "significantly more preferred" Honest error in duplication, or pushing a desired result?