Movable Type

[Mechanic]

The world's first known movable type system for printing was made of ceramic materials and created in China around A.D 1040 by Bi Sheng (990–1051) during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127).[1] When this technology spread to Korea during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1234, they made the metal movable-type system for printing.

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Movable_type

[printsmurf]

I will be posting hand composition, typography, wood block printing and type designers and casters in this thread as well as the origins of metal type as they are so closely aligned with Movable Type

Bi Sheng was featured on a 5 Yuan coin issued by People's Republic of China in 1988

[printsmurf]

Pi Sheng also appears on a 1 Crown commemorative coin issued by Isle of Man in 1995

[printsmurf]

Issued on 12 October 1999 in a mini-sheet  'Science and Technology in Ancient China'    (Liberia)

[printsmurf]

Issued on 18 August 2005 in a series 'Four Great Inventions of Ancient China' - Printing      (Hong Kong)
Bi Sheng is shown along with type wheels and clay type

[printsmurf]

Qingpu Oriental Land Park (Shanghai) - Wisdom Avenue
Statue of Bi Sheng

[printsmurf]

China Bi Sheng / Type-printing Test Coupon

[printsmurf]

Issued on 20 July 1999  -  Movable type used in China 1050                (Togo)

[printsmurf]

Issued on 1 August 1959  -  early example of movable type in Korea                (North Korea)

[printsmurf]

Issued in 1995 by the Shenda Telephone Co. (GPT)            (China)
Phonecard › Four Great Inventions(4-3)Moveable type

[printsmurf]

Issued in 1998 by China Telecom (Chip - National Releases)
Phonecard > Four Great Inventions（4-4）Moveable type

Apologies for the slightly blurry images

[printsmurf]

Issued on 5 February 1963      Library of Early Buddhist scriptures  stamp showing a 13th Century woodblock                      (South Korea)



Re-issued on 25 August 1967



Re-issued on 10 June 1969

[printsmurf]

Issued on 5 August 2022  'World Class Intangible Cultural Heritage' - Rui'an movable type printing       (China)

[printsmurf]

Issued on 4 October 1999 as part of a minisheet entitled 'Science and Technology of Ancient China'
Woodblock printing and a page from the World's oldest surviving book printed on paper
(Federated States of Micronesia)

[printsmurf]

Issued by China in 2008
Bi Sheng, movable type and a type wheel all appear alongside a modern day computer