Gothic Bold

15 Line

Box 115

Gothic | Modulated | Uppercase & Figures

  • This type measures 15 line in size and was produced with the end-cut method. The type block does not have a manufacturer’s stamp.
  • This face was first shown as wood type by J.E. Hamilton in his 1889 Specimens of Wood Type and Borders.
  • This cut of Gothic Bold was shown in American Wood Type on page 306 and was shown in the folio on page 81.

Type name used by manufacturer:
Hamilton Gothic Bold or No 238

This is the Hamilton cut.

While this type is original to Hamilton Mfg Co it has shares the characteristics of inverted stress with Gothic Italian included in 1840 Wells & Webb catalogue. Both Wells & Webb’s Gothic Italian and Hamilton’s Gothic Bold are designs that originated as wood type.

simple specimen of Gothic Bold wood type from the Rob Roy Kelly collection, printed in the UT Design Lab
simple specimen of Gothic Bold wood type from the Rob Roy Kelly collection, printed in the UT Design Lab

Character Quantities

  • A
    5
  • B
    3
  • C
    4
  • D
    4
  • E
    6
  • F
    3
  • G
    2
  • H
    4
  • I
    7
  • J
    3
  • K
    2
  • L
    6
  • M
    3
  • N
    5
  • O
    6
  • P
    3
  • Q
    2
  • R
    5
  • S
    6
  • T
    5
  • U
    3
  • V
    3
  • W
    5
  • X
    2
  • Y
    3
  • Z
    2
  • a
    -
  • b
    -
  • c
    -
  • d
    -
  • e
    -
  • f
    -
  • g
    -
  • h
    -
  • i
    -
  • j
    -
  • k
    -
  • l
    -
  • m
    -
  • n
    -
  • o
    -
  • p
    -
  • q
    -
  • r
    -
  • s
    -
  • t
    -
  • u
    -
  • v
    -
  • w
    -
  • x
    -
  • y
    -
  • z
    -
  • 0
    5
  • 1
    5
  • 2
    4
  • 3
    3
  • 4
    3
  • 5
    3
  • 6
    2
  • 7
    3
  • 8
    3
  • 9
    3
  • &
    2
  • $
    3
  • !
    1
  • Open Apos/Comma
    1
  • Close Apos
    -
  • Period
    3
  • Question Mark
    1
  • Colon
    1
  • Semi-Colon
    1
  • Dash
    1
  • Ligature
    -
  • Other
    ¢

Additional Specimens & Other Content

antique original wood type specimen catalog from wood type manufacturers in the 1800s featuring Gothic Bold type

Specimens of Wood Type and Borders (1891); Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum

Gothic Bold specimen book page from American Wood Type 1828-1900 by Rob Roy Kelly

Gothic Bold, page 306, American Wood Type 1828–1900, Rob Roy Kelly (1969)

letterpress print specimen of wood type from the Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection Folio Revisited, chunky black and yellow letters filling the whole page split diagonally by color

From RRK Folio Revisited
Madison Tran, class of 2025
Folio Residency Session 3
2024