2014/01/07

Strange Symbols on my new Remington....What do they stand for?

I bought this Remington Imperial portable with my year-end bonus. It is in excellent condition. But the real reason I bought it is that it has some very strange symbols. Any typospherian could tell me what they stand for? Thank you.

pp for pages, cf for compare, how about "+" and "ib"?




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9 comments:

  1. Richard P1/07/2014 07:10:00 AM

    Very interesting, I've never seen these symbols on a typewriter before. "ib" or "ibid." is short for "ibidem," which is Latin for "in the same place." The † sign can be used in addition to * for writing footnotes. So my guess is that this typewriter was owned by someone who was publishing academic papers.

    It's not a Remington, it's an Imperial -- a Good Companion Model 1, I believe, based on a Torpedo design.

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    1. Gerard1/07/2014 07:01:00 PM

      Thank you Richard. Yes, it is an IMPERIAL not a Remington as stated in the post. But design-wise, I have always believed that it is based on Remington design as both machines have the flat look.

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  2. Erik1/07/2014 11:49:00 AM

    Fascinating. I've seen a few unique characters but I've never seen these. To add to Richard's idea, it could also have been a departmental machine at a university.

    It's a beautiful machine. I've always liked the crest decal on Imperials. Congratulations on an interesting find!

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    1. Gerard1/07/2014 07:03:00 PM

      Thank you Erik. When I first saw it, I thought it was used by some clergyman, as the cruciform reminded me of the church.

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  3. Ton S. 1/07/2014 01:01:00 PM

    An Imperial typewriter with an "Ibid" key, how cool is that. Congratulations for such a unique find.

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    1. Gerard1/07/2014 07:03:00 PM

      Thank you Ton. I'm happy that I finally owned it.

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  4. Rob Bowker1/07/2014 04:11:00 PM

    The cruciform character is called a dagger and is used in typescripts to denote a footnote. I think it must have come from a publisher or academic author.

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  5. Rob Bowker1/07/2014 04:14:00 PM

    ...and of course Richard is correct. That's a Good Companion. Imperial was the only typewriter manufacturer in Leicester. Nice and shiny too!

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    1. Gerard1/07/2014 07:06:00 PM

      Thank you Rob for visiting and your explanation. Now a mystery is busted.

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