I have the ‘Classic Pica’ on a Coronet Electric portable, strangely enough. It’s not as techno-looking as the Hermes cubic style, but is quite attractive. Someone must’ve had to special order the thing.
BTW I also have that ‘Sight Saver’ typestyle on an Electra 120 portable. Like the old S-C script, this one has a different ribbon/vibrator mechanism, because it can only use a single-color ribbon due to the height of the type.
Yep, I have a ’53 Smith-Corona Silent-Super with a 6-pitch Pica typestyle (oddly, it’s not Sight Saver or the other 6-pitch sans-serif fonts listed here – it’s an elongated serif Pica), and it has a ribbon selector with only 2 positions: stencil and black.
Is there a way to get a high resolution scans of these samples? Im a type designer and interested in taking a jab at making some fonts based on these :)
Possibly, I’m sure I still have my original scans, although finding them will be a chore (This post is 7 years old). how should I contact you if I find them?
Hiya Munk!
I would really be interested in these too — I work in graphic design for film and television and do a lot of period film work — recreating all the paperwork (especially typewritten) is one of my great loves — if you manage to find the original scans I’d be interested in them too! Of course any that I turn into fonts I’d be happy to share back to you and your community.
Dear Reverend —> I’m intrigued by Hermes’ Techno Pica typeface. How did they ever decide which of the letters were lucky enough to receive serifs? So few have them that I figure there must be a reason. Do you have any idea?
This is absolutely delightful. I wish the text samples weren’t cut off, but I appreciate what’s here, anyway. I wonder if it’s possible to buy a serviceable Judicial Pica No. 87 anywhere, any more. I really like it.
Thank you for helping me “find my type.” I bought a Smith Corona Coronet Super 12, Coronamatic, sight unseen and I had mixed feelings after discovering the unusual typeface- Script (Artistic) No. 75. It is growing on me, though!
Ted, I wanted you to know that these listings are the gift that keeps on giving. I just picked up a ’53 Sterling from Goodwill and after cleaning the filthy keyslugs discovered that the font is Elite Gothic No.16. Thanks so much for all the work you do here.
With high hopes that it can be repaired, I just dropped $50 on a big, green Secretarial with No. 16 Gothic typeface, identified using this handy-dandy reference. The carriage is stuck to the right and will not center. Good thing I know a guy….Thanks again.
Well, Pica & Elite (because those were the default) and the “Presidential” variations, and Corinthian (Artistic) script will be the most common. After that, it’s kind of a dice roll.
If you look above, you can see, for example, “Elite 66”. So you should expect to see a “66” on the face of the type slugs between the upper and lower case characters. Not all manufacturers do this so clearly. Sometimes it’s just a symbol, sometimes both, and some seem to leave no mark at all, but if it’s there, that’s where to find it.
It’s worth noting that the apparently standard elite face on my 1946 and 1955 Silent-Supers has notably shorter and narrower glyphs (individual letters) than the No. 66 Elite featured on my 1956 Secretarial and 1974 Galaxie XII. But it’s not, as I long thought, No. 77 Presidential Elite — the letterforms closely mimic the No. 66 and the capital Q, to select one identifier, is notably different from No. 77. The slugs, unfortunately, are no help. Each features a numeral 2 followed by a glyph in a circle that I can’t quite make out with my loupe. Of course, none of the type styles on this page have a number starting with 2 except for Pica Italic, Speechwriter, and Micro Gothic, none of which apply.
Probably just sourced from a different than normal type foundry. Almost all foundries used #1 & #2 slug marques for standard Elite and Pica, but there was no real standard about what those typefaces looked like.
Are the Smith-Corona typewriter fonts available to download?
not that I know of. as there are not full character sets in these NOMDA books, it would be tough to make a font set.
I have the ‘Classic Pica’ on a Coronet Electric portable, strangely enough. It’s not as techno-looking as the Hermes cubic style, but is quite attractive. Someone must’ve had to special order the thing.
BTW I also have that ‘Sight Saver’ typestyle on an Electra 120 portable. Like the old S-C script, this one has a different ribbon/vibrator mechanism, because it can only use a single-color ribbon due to the height of the type.
Yep, I have a ’53 Smith-Corona Silent-Super with a 6-pitch Pica typestyle (oddly, it’s not Sight Saver or the other 6-pitch sans-serif fonts listed here – it’s an elongated serif Pica), and it has a ribbon selector with only 2 positions: stencil and black.
I am a boston sculptor using folding coronas between 1914-1922. I am wondering how i can find out which font
these models use?
Is there a way to get a high resolution scans of these samples? Im a type designer and interested in taking a jab at making some fonts based on these :)
Possibly, I’m sure I still have my original scans, although finding them will be a chore (This post is 7 years old). how should I contact you if I find them?
Do you have my email address from the form here?
Thanks a lot by the way :) you can contact me through pathum[at]mooniak.com
Hiya Munk!
I would really be interested in these too — I work in graphic design for film and television and do a lot of period film work — recreating all the paperwork (especially typewritten) is one of my great loves — if you manage to find the original scans I’d be interested in them too! Of course any that I turn into fonts I’d be happy to share back to you and your community.
Dear Reverend —> I’m intrigued by Hermes’ Techno Pica typeface. How did they ever decide which of the letters were lucky enough to receive serifs? So few have them that I figure there must be a reason. Do you have any idea?
Nope. they dead, so I can’t ask :D
This is absolutely delightful. I wish the text samples weren’t cut off, but I appreciate what’s here, anyway. I wonder if it’s possible to buy a serviceable Judicial Pica No. 87 anywhere, any more. I really like it.
Thank you for helping me “find my type.” I bought a Smith Corona Coronet Super 12, Coronamatic, sight unseen and I had mixed feelings after discovering the unusual typeface- Script (Artistic) No. 75. It is growing on me, though!
Ted, I wanted you to know that these listings are the gift that keeps on giving. I just picked up a ’53 Sterling from Goodwill and after cleaning the filthy keyslugs discovered that the font is Elite Gothic No.16. Thanks so much for all the work you do here.
I live to serve (:
With high hopes that it can be repaired, I just dropped $50 on a big, green Secretarial with No. 16 Gothic typeface, identified using this handy-dandy reference. The carriage is stuck to the right and will not center. Good thing I know a guy….Thanks again.
Do you have any sense as to how rare each font face is?
Well, Pica & Elite (because those were the default) and the “Presidential” variations, and Corinthian (Artistic) script will be the most common. After that, it’s kind of a dice roll.
Thanks. I purchased a Classic 12 model that has Basic Writing No. 67. The 4, 7, and 9 are distinct and awesome.
Do you know what 6 CPI No. 29 A is called? It looks a bit like Sight Saver, and Speech-Writer, but isn’t either.
Hello Ted,
I just finished cleaning a 1939 maroon Corona Sterling with 8 cpi that is not listed here. Any other resources available where it might be listed?
try this one:
https://munk.org/typecast/2023/02/03/1954-smith-corona-scm-typewriter-type-styles-and-keyboards-catalog/
Thank you Ted!
This resource is superb. The typeface on this Sterling is identified as ‘Great Primer No.19, 8 Pitch’. Mystery solved!
Are type bars identified in any way as to style?
If you look above, you can see, for example, “Elite 66”. So you should expect to see a “66” on the face of the type slugs between the upper and lower case characters. Not all manufacturers do this so clearly. Sometimes it’s just a symbol, sometimes both, and some seem to leave no mark at all, but if it’s there, that’s where to find it.
It’s worth noting that the apparently standard elite face on my 1946 and 1955 Silent-Supers has notably shorter and narrower glyphs (individual letters) than the No. 66 Elite featured on my 1956 Secretarial and 1974 Galaxie XII. But it’s not, as I long thought, No. 77 Presidential Elite — the letterforms closely mimic the No. 66 and the capital Q, to select one identifier, is notably different from No. 77. The slugs, unfortunately, are no help. Each features a numeral 2 followed by a glyph in a circle that I can’t quite make out with my loupe. Of course, none of the type styles on this page have a number starting with 2 except for Pica Italic, Speechwriter, and Micro Gothic, none of which apply.
Probably just sourced from a different than normal type foundry. Almost all foundries used #1 & #2 slug marques for standard Elite and Pica, but there was no real standard about what those typefaces looked like.