1933 Corona Professional #J1C02001-T

Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)
Created: 05-10-2026 at 02:33PM
Last Edit: 05-10-2026 at 07:31PM

Description Hunter 26 Photos 0 Likes  Find on Ebay #AD  Find on Etsy #AD

Description:

2026-MAY-10, Gallery Creation. The Corona Professional is basically a Corona 4 with a tabulator; hence the -T in the serial number. It seems relatively obscure, and one can go a long time without even being aware that there is a "Professional" Corona 4 variant with a tabulator. I only became aware of this a month or two ago, from my recent eBay trawling habit. When I saw this gold/black example, I decided that I had to have it. It was a bit expensive. The original listing asked for $225, but after a while, I was offered a price of $200 and I accepted. Shipping was $24.45 from Tamaqua, PA.

I had a set of rubber feet handy that would serve for a Corona 4, and that was fortunate, as the space bar kind of bottomed out with the squashed, rock-hard old feet. After a little cleaning for sticky typebars, I gave it a whirl. It types in pica. There are some alignment issues, but I should be able to sort these out in due time. To my aesthetic, this machine is a real looker! The "J" in the serial code indicates gold/black color scheme; the "1C" indicates Jan-Feb 1933; Feb 1933 seems more likely, due to the number made in the "C" series in 1933 per the TWDB serial number list.

I decided to try an eBay catalog of how many Corona Professional machines are currently listed (as of 5/9/26). From 480 hits on "corona professional typewriter", seven (7) of the hits turned out to be listings for actual Corona Professional typewriters. These are summarized in the following list:

1. V5A08899-T, asking $100 OBO. Located in Grants Pass, OR, but the typewriter has a sticker with a Westfield, MA address. The "V" indicates black crinkle/black body paint. The "A" indicates 1930, and the "5" is a month code, indicating Sep-Oct; probably Oct due to the high serial code of 08899. The photos provided in the listing are poor quality; only the right-hand spool cover is present.
2. Another black/black one, serial number not provided. Neither spool cover is present. Asking $246.69 OBO. The platen looks like it has been bored out with a hanging fixture inserted.
3. V3B00760-T. Another black/black one, May-Jun 1931. This one is in the UK. Asking 100 GBP.
4. J1B00318-T. Gold/black, Jan-Feb 1931. Asking $135 OBO. Located in Grand Junction, CO. This one is not as nice as the example I purchased. It has both spool covers, but one is on at a tilt (hopefully just not attached correctly).
5. Another black/black one, no serial number provided. $550 OBO. Located in Detroit, MI.
6&7. These are two from a seller in Spain, Antiguedades_Elpienna. They are both French keyboards, and both in novel colors. Serial number is not provided in either case. The first one is for $525 (plus a whole lot of shipping to the USA), and is maroon/maroon (would be the "R" code if the serial number were given). The listing claims it's from 1930. The second one is for $495 (plus a whole lot of shipping to the USA), and is channel blue (would be the "B" code if serial number were given).

That's all she wrote, as for listings on eBay for Corona Professionals on 5/9/2026, anyway.

Typeface Specimen:

Photos:

Typewriter and case.

Front, low-angle view.

Front decal close-up.

Left wide-angle view #1.

Left wide-angle view #2.

Type slug detail.

Left quadrant.

Left.

Left rear quadrant. For some reason, the left platen knob has red undertones.

Rear view.

Serial number.

Right rear quadrant.

Right.

Right quadrant.

Typewriter with paper inserted.

Typing sample.

Open case.

Typing chart that came with the machine; front side.

Typing chart print date.

Typing chart, flip side.

Instruction envelope.

Instruction cover.

Instruction print date.

Instruction page 1.

Instruction page 2.

Instruction page 3 (back cover).

Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)

Brian Decker's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]

Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 2405

My interest in typewriters started in 1997, when I was in graduate school at the University of Georgia. I purchased and read Darryl Rehr's book, joined ETC, and started reaching out to known collectors. I had several email interchanges with Richard Polt dating from that period. I also bought some of my first machines from Bob Aubert, and visited him at his home twice. After marriage and relocation to New England, I continued visiting antique shops and eBay, until other priorities put my typewriter hobby on hiatus around 2008.

In late 2024, I started up again, working on my machines and having some of them serviced professionally by New England Typewriter (NET) LLC (Merrimack, NH), until they closed their doors in December of 2025. Since mid-2025, I have been adding to my collection again, first with a Hermes 3000 purchase from NET, then with various auctions and purchases on eBay, when I find something that catches my eye.