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196x Commodore Personal Serial # ZP-172680 196x Commodore Personal typewriter, Serial # ZP-172680 James Gifford's 196x Commodore Personal typewriter. 2016-09-03 From the Virtual Typewriter Collection of James Gifford: 196x Commodore Personal Serial # ZP-172680 I bought this Commodore for CAN$20 at a local market, without a case. It's a mysterious machine, to me, anyway. I can't figure out how to free the carriage or delete margin settings, so the carriage returns only to centre and I need to press the margin release to move it along. I was unable to find a model name on it, but based on one of Uwe's postings, I believe this is a Personal that dates to some point in the 1960s. This is a basic typewriter that reminds me of the period's Smith-Coronas (the green keyset) and the Olivetti Studio 44 (the corrugated panel above the keyset). This machine features green keys but a black space bar. Perhaps this was standard, or maybe it was replaced. I also could not find the country of manufacture anywhere on the exterior or interior, but assume it was manufactured, or at least assembled, in Toronto. It could be that this information appears on the case, which is missing. I know these typewriters have a following, but count me out!

196x Commodore Personal #ZP-172680

Status: My Collection
Hunter: James Gifford (giffer)
Created: 09-03-2016 at 06:09AM
Last Edit: 09-03-2016 at 06:10AM

Description Hunter 1 Photos 0 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

I bought this Commodore for CAN$20 at a local market, without a case. It's a mysterious machine, to me, anyway. I can't figure out how to free the carriage or delete margin settings, so the carriage returns only to centre and I need to press the margin release to move it along. I was unable to find a model name on it, but based on one of Uwe's postings, I believe this is a Personal that dates to some point in the 1960s. This is a basic typewriter that reminds me of the period's Smith-Coronas (the green keyset) and the Olivetti Studio 44 (the corrugated panel above the keyset). This machine features green keys but a black space bar. Perhaps this was standard, or maybe it was replaced. I also could not find the country of manufacture anywhere on the exterior or interior, but assume it was manufactured, or at least assembled, in Toronto. It could be that this information appears on the case, which is missing. I know these typewriters have a following, but count me out!

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

Green keyset, black space bar.
Green keyset, black space bar.

Hunter: James Gifford (giffer)

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I am a writer and book editor as well as a collector of typewriters. It started with an Hermes 3000 desktop, which I stupidly sold last year, but now another sits on my desk for typing envelopes with a beautiful sans serif typeface. I type every day on different machines in my collection, which stands at about 60 at the moment. Favourites include my two 3000s, a 1930s Smith-Corona Silent, the Olivetti Studio 44 (red case), and a crinkle, chrome-encircled Royal Quiet Deluxe. I have also been finding very inexpensive Royal 10s of late; I currently own three, two from the 1910s and the other a later model, and another (1931) I sold to a friend at cost for his son, who appreciates vintage things. I am always on the lookout for new and interesting machines and often trade or sell to try new models. Living and working in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


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