Early Office Museum

Antique Date, Cancelling, Time, Number & Name Stamps

Model, Year Patented or Advertised, Maker	Click Image to Enlarge
Hand Stamps & Ink Pads	.
Ruggles' Patent Hand Stamp Patented 1855 ~ Advertised 1854-60 Boston Hand Stamp Co., Boston, MA Patent No. 13,470 The die is metal, not rubber.
Hand Stamp Wells Fargo Agency, Grass Valley, Nevada Co. Wells Fargo Museum, San Francisco, CA
Rubber Hand Stamps The available evidence suggests that rubber hand stamps were invented around 1864-66. "The years from 1866 onward were peppered with the establishment of new [rubber] stamp companies. J. F. W. Dorman is said to have been the first to actually commercialize the making of rubber stamps. In 1866 Dorman learned the technique of manufacturing rubber stamps." (J. K. Miller & L. Thompson, The Rubber Stamp Album, 1978) The New York Rubber Stamp Co. is listed in an 1870 New York City business directory. A number of companies exhibited rubber hand stamps at the 1876 International Exhibition in Philadelphia. These firms included G. K. Cooke & Co., New York, NY; Walker, Tucker & Co., Philadelphia; John Goldsborough, Philadelphia; and D. A. Edsall, New York, NY.	. Revolving Rubber Stamp Rack, 1889 ad
Excelsior Rubber Stamp Pad (top right) Advertised 1886-87 B. G.. Volger & Co. (1886-87), W. B. Volger (1887), New York, NY Price $0.50	1887 Ad
Laughton Color Pad (bottom right) Patented 1886-90 ~ Advertised 1900 F. S. Webster Co. Boston, MA (1900) Pat. No. 351,928 (1886)
Self-Inking Rubber Stamp Advertised 1887-89 B. P. Webler New York, NY	Insert image from Office 1/89
Mechanical Hand Stamps ~ These Stamps Have Their Own Ink Pads or Ribbons These stamps were used for dating, cancelling, and other purposes.	.
Ames' Patent Self-Inking Stamp Patented 1856 ~ Advertised 1860 M. B. Bigelow & Anson Hardy Boston, MA Pat. No. 14,548 (1856) When the plunger is pushed down, the ink roller rubs across the die before the die hits the paper.
No. 1 Canceller Advertised 1870 Power & Wallwork New York, NY The 1870 advertisement states: "This was the first ribbon canceller ever made, and immense numbers were sold and used with great satisfaction until they were supplanted by late improvements. We have a small stock on hand which we propose to sell at greatly reduced prices." Power & Wallwork, Illustrated Catalogue and Price List, New York, NY, 1870, contains illustrated advertisements for a wide range of dating and canceling stamps similar to the next three below. (Hagley Museum and Library)	Image coming H
Brass Dating Stamp Patented 1865 ~ Sold 1866 ~ Advertised 1870 W. W. Secombe & Co. New York, NY This machine, which was patented in 1865, was owned by Joseph Fuller of Sufield, Connecticut, and his name and city surround the date. The device has four brass wheels, one for the month, two for the day of the month, and one for the year. The year wheel is for 1866-1875.
Hudson's Ribbon Hand Stamp (two models) Patented 1865 Thomas S. Hudson East Cambridge, MA This is described in U.S. Patent No. 48,338 and No. 51,053 as a Machine for Canceling Revenue Stamps. It was designed to stamp a few words, such as a person's name and address, and the month, day, and year. The machine in the lower photo stamps "G.G. HICKS, AGT., PROV., R.I.." as well as the date. Numbers (1 to 31) for the day are on an endless chain inside the vertical plunger. The operator changed the month and year dies manually. The machine in the lower photo has a die for the year 1887.
Bank Stamp Introduced 1865 ~ Advertised 1867 Chas. E. Maas & Co. (manufacturer) (Maas was an engraver) D. M. & J. Townsend (agent) Philadelphia, PA "Six stamps under one frame and plunger."
Holt's Circular Bank Stamp Sold by 1867 ~ Advertised 1870 Power & Wallwork New York, NY "This is the largest and most comprehensive ribbon stamping machine ever made. It carries twelve large dies. It has a separate ribbon for each die, giving such a variety of colors as may be desired." The machine was $100. One was used by the Bank of America during 1867-70.	Image to be added H
Self-Dating and Indicating Cancelling Stamp Patented 1867 ~ Advertised 1867 Nathaniel L. Chamberlain Boston, MA The 1867 billhead below is in the Warshaw Collection, National Museum of American History Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Similar if not identical stamps were advertised c. 1867 by E. D. Chamberlain, New York, NY, and in 1868 by D. M. & J. Townsend, Philadelphia, PA. These stamps were $12.
Counting House Stamp Advertised 1867 Nathaniel L. Chamberlain Boston, MA
Date Stamp Patented 1868 ~ Sold 1868 Nathaniel L. Chamberlain Boston, MA U.S. Patent No. 83,253 This machine has three brass wheels, one for the month, one for the day, and one for the year. The year wheel is for 1868-1875.
Ribbon Hand Stamp Advertised 1869 W. H. H. Davis Boston, MA
Smith's Patent Ribbon Hand Stamp John Garrett & Co. New York, NY A circular portion of the base could be removed so that the machine could stamp through to a page in a book, rather than being used as an ordinary stamp. There is a record that in 1870 John Garrett & Co. sold a brass dating stamp to the New York State Agricultural Society for $12.
American Dating Stamp Patented 1871-76 ~ Advertised 1877-1922 B. B. Hill Manufacturing Co. (The proprietor's name was Benjamin B. Hill) Springfield, MA (until 1882) Philadelphia, PA (1882 onward) The 1871 patent is U.S. Patent No. 121,286. The illustration on an 1877 billhead has a brass dating wheel that begins with 1871. The Medal of Superiority awarded to the B. B. Hill Mfg Co. for Dating, Cancelling, Numbering & Perforating Stamps, Seal Presses & Self-Inkers, American Institute, NY, 1885. Photos courtesy of Russ Sears.
Patent Self-Inking Rotary Stamp Exhibited 1876 G. K. Cooke & Co. New York, NY	Illustration in Publishers' Weekly, Vol X, 1876, p. 107.
Hill Centennial Dater Patented 1876-1879 ~ Advertised c.1906, 1910 B. B. Hill Manufacturing Co. Springfield, MA (until 1882) Philadelphia, PA (1882 onward) The similar Cosmo Ribbon Dater was advertised in 1936 for use by railroads to date tickets.
Railroad Dater Advertised c. 1906 U.S.	Image coming Corlies, Macy & Co, p. 88
Mechanical Time-Dating Stamps ~ These Stamps Contained Clocks	.
Automatic Time-Dating Stamp Advertised 1890-93 Accurate Time Stamp Co. New York, NY Similar machines were marketed by various companies until at least 1936. International Time Recording, New York, NY, advertised the Standard Time Stamp in 1900. Follett Time Recording Co., NY, NY, advertised Follett's New Model Time Stamp in 1913. (System, Oct. 1913). The Ajax Time Stamp Co., Boston, MA, advertised the Ajax Time Stamp during 1928-36. Photograph lower right shows a National Time Recorder, made by the National Time Recorder Co., London, UK	Automatic Time-Dating Stamp, 1890 Replace preceding image with two from Office 4/90 National Time Recorder
National Time and Dating Stamp Advertised 1892 National Stamp Co. Newark, NJ	National Time and Dating Stamp, 1892 ad
Automatic Time Stamp Patented 1894-97 ~ Advertised 1890-1923 The Automatic Time Stamp Co. Boston, MA Insert image from Office 2/90 The Thompson Time Stamp Co., New York, NY, advertised the similar Thompson Time Stamp Model B in 1928.
Baird Chronograph and Baird Time Stamp Advertised 1898 (Chronograph), 1902-05 (Time Stamp) Baird Clock Co. (1898) Baird Manufacturing Co.(1902-05), Chicago, IL	Baird Chronograph, 1898 ad Baird Time Stamp, 1905 ad
Hoggson Time Stamps Advertised 1902 S. H. Hoggson & Co. New York, NY Joslin's Eclipse Time Stamp was advertised in 1928 (Horder's), and the Eclipse Automatic Time Stamp and the Cosmo Automatic Time Stamp were advertised in 1936.	Insert image from System 1902
Perry Time Stamp Advertised 1905-06 Perry Time Stamp Co. Chicago, IL	1906 ad
Electric Time Stamp Advertised 1906 American Clock Co. Chicago, IL	1906 ad
IBM International Electroprint Time Stamp Late 1930s International Business Machines New York, NY
Numbering Stamps	.
Holt's Consecutive Numbering Machine Advertised 1870 Power & Wallwork New York, NY	Image coming H
French Consecutive Numbering Stamp Advertised 1870 Power & Wallwork New York, NY	Image coming H
Numbering Machine Advertised 1889 C. H. Hanson Chicago, IL	Image coming from Office 4/89
Bates Automatic Numbering Machines Patented 1891-93 ~ Advertised 1892-present Bates Mfg. Co. Orange, NJ These are self-inking. Bates produced many models, and Bates numbering stamps are still produced. For a history of the use of Bates stamps by the legal profession and technologies that have largely replaced them, see Ralph Losey, "HASH: The New Bates Stamp," 12 Journal of Technology Law & Policy 1, June 2007; Tom O'Connor, The Days of the Bates Stamp are Numbered, 2008; and Ralph Losey, The Days of the Bates Stamp are Numbered, 2008. The latter reproduces the image top right.
Excelsior Numbering Machine
Name Stamps	.
Hand Stamp/Card Printer/Linen Marker Patented 1871 ~ Exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. William Thompson Frohock, Philadelphia, PA. Design Pat. No. 4,808 This device stamps a name using printer's type. A competing device, Gorham's Card and Linen Marker, was based on Design Patent No. 5,364 (1871). This device was advertised in 1873.

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