1957 Smith Corona Sterling #5A 634584
Status: My Collection
Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)
Created: 01-01-2026 at 12:08PM
Last Edit: 01-01-2026 at 12:16PM
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Description:
This machine was given to me by a work colleague who knew I was into typewriters, around August of 2002. His wife had been fixing to throw it in the garbage. For me, it triggered an interest in the 5-Series Smith-Corona portables, and I read online about how the Silent Super was their premium line and a very good machine. So, several months later, I acquired an Alpine Blue Silent Super on eBay; the only 5-Series machine I ever purchased through eBay (see linked gallery). Years later, in early 2007, I found another Silent Super, in Desert Sand, for $15 at an antique mall (see linked gallery). This constitutes all of my 5-series S-C portables.
This Sterling I was planning to make a parts machine, due to the dubious condition of its cosmetic appearance. Also, my Alpine Blue Silent Super has a cracked linkage bearing mount. I was thinking to replace it with the one from this Sterling, and I went as far as to disconnect all the linkages and remove the bearing mount. However, after applying JB Weld to the Alpine Blue Silent Super's bearing mount, I decided this Sterling was worth reconstituting into working condition. What a job it was to replace the bearing mount and reinstall all the linkages! That accomplished late yesterday, I was able to produce a typing sample and create this gallery.
Along the way, I discovered that this 1957 Sterling does NOT have the convenient platen release lever mechanism; instead, it has a rather unfriendly arrangement involving a pressure plate mounted to the same threaded rod as the spring that holds the paper release lever. This may be common knowledge, but I wasn't aware that the convenient platen release was reserved for the higher lines in the 5-series.
This machine did come with a holiday case, which I still have; I just forgot to photograph it, and it looks basically like every other tan holiday case for these machines.
Typeface Specimen:
Links:
Photos:
Hunter: Brian Decker (bkdecker66)
Brian Decker's Typewriter Galleries [ My Collection ] [ My Sightings ]
Status: Typewriter Hunter
Points: 1039
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. I still have my collection of around 57 machines, and now I have a renewed interest in getting some of them in good working and cosmetic order.
RESEARCH NOTE: When researching the Smith Corona Sterling on a computer with lots of screen real estate, you may find that launching the Smith Corona Serial Number page and the Smith Corona Sterling By Model/Year/Serial page in new browser windows can give you interesting perspectives on changes throughout the model series.
