Coffman

First year of production:

1902

Company:

Coffman , St. Louis , USA

Serial nr:

none

The Coffman typewriter was a cheap linear index machine that hit the market for a brief period in 1902/1903. In fact, two versions of this primitive portable were made, with and without a platen. The Coffman without a platen printed directly onto a flat piece of paper. The model on this page is the one with a wooden platen.

Ad for the 5 dollar Coffman

The Coffman type was just a long strip of rubber, fitted lengthwise under the index. After selecting the type, the index pointer was pressed down to push the type strip onto the paper. Inking was tone by two small ink rollers. (see pic 6)

At 5 dollars the Coffman typewriter was not the best buy imaginable at the time. From the point of view of modern collectors, the 5 dollars would have been an excellent investment. The machine is extremely rare today.

Courtesy of: Casillo collection