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Re: Mystery objects

Started by John Eickhoff, May 17, 2008, 10:45:52 AM

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Printle: A Printing Word Game from Metal Type


John Eickhoff

Size is the problem from the photo. If the objects are anything from, say, 2mm x 8mm to two or three times bigger and all about one inch or just under long, they are almost certainly printing type, the ones with raised letters on the end being used to 'print' the letter (by being covered with sticky ink and pressed against paper)  and the ones without letters being 'spaces' (blanks used between words).
The metal is a mixture of tin (to make it flow when casting), antimony (to add hardness) and lead (the bulk of it - 60%-70% plus).
Caslon was another typefounder (which was taken over by Stephenson, Blake & Co in 1929, I think) and if BPF could be BTF you have Blackfriars Type Foundry, which was older again.


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