Antique Identifier Logo

Antique Typewriters Identification Guide: Brands, Dating & Value

Remington No. 1 typewriter of the 1870s, its black japanned body painted with sprays of flowers, mounted on a cast-iron treadle stand with a fold-down side table
The machine everything else descends from: a Remington No. 1, built by E. Remington & Sons of Ilion, New York, 1873–78, and the first Sholes & Glidden design the firm put into production. Look at what it is sitting on. Remington was a sewing-machine and gun maker, so the typewriter arrived on a cast-iron treadle stand, decorated with painted flowers by the people who decorated sewing machines, and with the carriage returned by a foot pedal. It also typed only in capitals, and the typebars struck the underside of the platen so the operator could not see the line. Nearly every later change in the trade is a response to one of those facts. Wisconsin Historical Museum; photograph by Daderot (CC0)

Written by the Antique Identifier Team

Expert Antique Appraisers & AI Specialists

Our team combines decades of antique appraisal experience with cutting-edge AI technology. Meet our experts who help authenticate and identify antiques for collectors worldwide.

Antique typewriters sit at the intersection of industrial design, writing history, and practical mechanics. A good example can be both a beautiful display piece and a usable machine with a distinct typing feel that modern keyboards cannot replicate.

Collectors often ask the same first questions: Who made this machine? Is it complete? Can it be dated accurately? And does condition matter more than brand? This guide gives you a field-tested process you can use at flea markets, estate sales, auctions, and online listings.

Below you will learn how to identify major makers, decode serial numbers, recognize period features, spot restoration issues, and estimate value using comparable sales and condition grading.

Table of Contents

Why Antique Typewriters Are Collected

Typewriters attract multiple collector groups at once: writing enthusiasts, design historians, film and theater prop buyers, office ephemera collectors, and mechanical hobbyists. This broad demand keeps the market active even when some antique categories slow down.

Early visible-writing machines, unusual index typewriters, and rare keyboard variants are especially desirable. But common models can still be collectible when they are complete, original, and mechanically healthy.

Historical milestones that influence demand

Machines tied to major transitions in typing technology often carry stronger collector interest: early front-strike designs, compact portables for travel, and postwar standards that became office workhorses. A model’s place in that timeline affects value as much as aesthetics.

Skeletal early typewriter mechanism with an open wooden frame, a brass cylinder platen above and rows of exposed type levers below, displayed on a plain plinth
And here is where it came from — with a caveat the museum states plainly. This is the Sholes and Glidden prototype of about 1870, and the object on display is a replica built in 1938. Use it for what it shows rather than as a specimen: a bare wooden frame, a brass cylinder for a platen, and every type lever in the open. That skeletal, unenclosed layout is the honest starting point of the machine, and it is worth knowing that some of the most-reproduced images of “the first typewriter” are of reconstructions like this one rather than of surviving originals. Wisconsin Historical Museum; photograph by Daderot (CC0)

Core Typewriter Parts to Inspect First

Start with a systematic visual check. Confirm that the carriage, platen knobs, ribbon spools, keytops, paper table, and feet are present. Missing parts reduce value and can be difficult to source for specific models.

High-impact components

Platen and feed rollers: hardened rubber is common, but severe cracking affects usability. Type slugs: bent type bars or heavily worn characters can make typing muddy. Escapement: this mechanism controls character spacing and is expensive to repair if damaged.

Tall black understrike typewriter with an open framework body, a wide carriage across the top, curved rows of round keys at the front and the type basket visible beneath
A Remington No. 7 in the Science Museum, and a good machine on which to learn the parts, because almost nothing is covered. Running from the front: the keyboard, the type basket below and behind it, the carriage riding on rails across the top, the platen it carries, and the ribbon spools at either side. This is still an understrike machine — the typebars swing up to hit the bottom of the platen, so the operator lifts the carriage to read what has been typed. When a listing calls a machine “blind writer”, that is what it means, and it is a strong dating signal on its own. Science Museum, London; photograph via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Case and accessories

Original carrying cases, cleaning brushes, instruction books, and dealer paperwork add both historical interest and market value. Document these extras in photos whenever you evaluate a machine.

Major Makers and Signature Traits

Three brands dominate many antique listings: Underwood, Remington, and Royal. Smith-Corona, Olympia, Hermes, and Olivetti are also important for mid-century collecting.

Underwood

Known for robust standards and highly recognizable open-frame styling in early models. Underwood machines are often good starter antiques because parts knowledge is widespread and serial references are abundant.

Remington

Remington produced major innovations in both early and later periods. Look for clear badge details, model markings, and serial plates because repainting can blur identification clues.

Heavy black desktop typewriter of the late 1940s with an enclosed body, a rounded frame, glass-topped round keys and a wide carriage, standing on a patterned rug
The same firm seventy years on: a Remington Rand KMC of about 1947. Everything the No. 1 exposed is now inside a pressed-steel shell, the typebars strike the front of the platen so the writing is visible, and the machine is a standardised office tool rather than a novelty. Worth noting for identification: Remington became Remington Rand in 1927, so the name on the frame brackets a machine before you look for a serial number at all. Firm names change more often than models do, and they are printed larger. Photograph by Georg Sommeregger via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Royal and Smith-Corona

Royal standards and portables are common in North American markets. Smith-Corona portables are loved for practical daily use, so examples with smooth action and original finish can sell quickly.

Have an antique to identify? Snap a photo and get instant AI-powered identification.
Download on App Store

Serial Numbers and Dating Methods

Serial numbers are your most reliable dating tool. On many machines, the serial appears on the frame under the carriage, on the rear body panel, or near the ribbon area. Use a flashlight and photograph the number before cleaning.

Cross-checking serials

One source is never enough. Compare serial tables from trusted collector associations, period catalogs, and factory records where available. Confirm that the model name and physical features match the claimed year range.

Patent dates are not production dates

A common mistake is treating patent stamps as manufacturing dates. Patent dates indicate when a design was legally protected, not when your machine was built. Always prioritize model-correct serial data.

AEG Mignon index typewriter on a wooden base, with an upright printed character chart on the left, a pointer arm resting on it, a small cylindrical type sleeve at the centre and a single key at the right
A machine with no keyboard at all: the AEG Mignon, an index typewriter. The upright chart is the character set, the arm is a pointer, and the single key at the right prints whatever the pointer is resting on — the letters themselves sit on the small replaceable type sleeve at the centre, which is also how the machine changes typeface or alphabet. It is here to make the section’s point about dates. AEG built the Mignon from 1905 to 1934 with the design essentially unchanged, so a patent date cast into one of these is nearly thirty years away from telling you when this example left the factory. Museo de Ávila; photograph by Malopez 21 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Keyboard Layouts, Languages, and Markets

Keyboard layout can reveal export destination and collecting niche. QWERTY is common, but AZERTY, QWERTZ, and specialty language keyboards can make a machine rarer in certain markets.

Keytop materials and legends

Early machines may use glass-topped keys, while later models can have plastic caps. Replacement keytops or mismatched fonts across keys may indicate repair work. Ensure legends are consistent with the claimed language layout.

Black Olivetti typewriter of 1916 with gold lettering across the paper table, four banks of round keys with white legends under glass, and the maker's name cast across the front rail
An Olivetti M1 of 1916, the firm’s first machine, with the front rail cast ING. C. OLIVETTI & C. IVREA. The keys are the detail to study: a printed paper legend under a glass disc, held by a nickelled metal ring. That construction is characteristic of the period and it fails in characteristic ways — glass cracks, rings tarnish and loosen, paper legends yellow and shift. Later machines move to moulded plastic keytops with the legend printed on the surface, where the failure is worn-away lettering instead. Which kind of keytop a machine has, and how it has failed, dates it as reliably as the frame. Photograph by Daniele Serena via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Finish, Decals, and Originality Checks

Original paint and decals are critical to collector value. Over-restored machines with modern glossy coatings can look attractive online but often sell for less than honest original finishes with moderate wear.

How to spot repainting

Watch for paint pooling near screws, clogged badge lettering, and decals that sit on top of fresh paint without period-correct aging. Sharp edges and untouched nickel trim often indicate originality.

Close view of the decorated top of a Sholes and Glidden typewriter, its black japanned surface painted with a landscape panel surrounded by gilt scrollwork and sprays of coloured flowers
The decoration on a Sholes & Glidden at close range, and the reason repainting matters so much on these machines. That is japanning — a baked black lacquer — with hand-painted flowers, a landscape panel and freehand gilt lining over it. It cannot be reproduced with modern spray enamel, and the things to check are all visible at this magnification: the gilt lines should be slightly uneven and slightly raised, the black should show fine age crazing rather than a uniform gloss, and decals should sit under the surface rather than on top of it. A machine whose paint is more perfect than its mechanism has been refinished. Photograph by Eremeev via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Mechanical Condition and Test Routine

Use a repeatable test whenever possible:

  • Type every key across several rows.
  • Check carriage return, bell, and margin release.
  • Test shift and shift lock functions.
  • Advance paper and verify even line spacing.
  • Inspect ribbon advance in both directions.

A machine that types cleanly with minimal sticking can be worth significantly more than an identical model sold as decorative only.

Portable vs Standard Machines

Standard desk machines tend to be heavier and less expensive to ship, which can reduce online buyer pools. Portables are easier to store and often attract first-time collectors, especially when the case is intact and handle hardware is original.

However, rare standards with unusual keyboards, government or newsroom provenance, or early production features can outperform common portables in specialized auctions.

Valuation Factors and Price Bands

Value depends on five factors: rarity, originality, mechanical condition, cosmetic condition, and documented provenance. Brand alone is not enough.

General market tiers

Entry tier: common machines with cosmetic wear and untested function. Mid tier: complete machines with good typing action and honest finish. Premium tier: rare models, exceptional condition, unusual layouts, or documented historical ownership.

Always compare recent sold listings rather than asking prices, and adjust for shipping risk and restoration costs.

Buying, Shipping, and Long-Term Care

When buying online, request photos of serial number, type sample, ribbon area, feet, case interior, and underside. These views reveal most hidden problems.

Shipping best practices

The carriage should be locked, internal spaces lightly padded, and machine immobilized inside its case before boxing. Double-boxing with dense foam dramatically lowers transit damage.

Storage and maintenance

Store in stable humidity, avoid direct sunlight, and dust regularly. Use gentle cleaning methods and avoid aggressive solvents on decals and key legends. For complex escapement issues, consult a specialist technician rather than forcing adjustments.

With careful identification and condition grading, antique typewriters can be rewarding collectibles that preserve a key chapter of communication history.

← Back to Antique Identifier