According to: Ex 12a Page 4

C. SUMMARY
A Fairchild model A-100 cockpit voice recorder (CVR) s/n UNK was brought to 
the audio laboratory of the National Transportation Safety Board. A 
transcript was prepared of the entire 31.5 minute good quality
recording.
D. DETAILS OF INVESTIGATION
The CVR unit arrived in the lab in a large cooler
still submerged in water. The exterior of the CVR was
extremely dented and distorted. The front panel of the
CVR was ripped from the unit and was only being held on
by the underwater locating beacon mount. The normal
carrying handle was missing. The data plate that is
normally attached to the front panel was also missing
and never recovered.

In reference to the above statement about the data plate:
I was reviewing a partial tape segment aired by TLC (date unknown). The tape 
shows a news briefing being conducted by Loeb. In that briefing there are 
several good footage segments of a very legible data plate labeled 'Cockpit 
Voice Recorder', attached to the CVR.

Unfortunately, the serial number is not legible in the video. Video 
enhancement might help. It would be interesting to compare that serial number 
to the aircraft maintenance logs just to verify that the CVR was indeed the 
one installed on the aircraft.
At any rate, I wonder how James Cash could make the statement that he did and 
no one at NTSB making a correction to the public docket.