Ben Franklin

8 Line

Box 011

Roman | Old Style | Uppercase, Lowercase & Figures

  • This type measures 8 line in size and was produced with the end-cut method. The type block is stamped Hamilton, Two Rivers, Wis. which was used by Hamilton between 1891–1950s.
  • This face was first shown as wood type by J.E. Hamilton in his 1899 Specimen No 14.
  • This cut of Ben Franklin was shown in American Wood Type on page 241 and in the folio on page 35.

Type name used by manufacturer:
Hamilton Ben Franklin or No 656
Tubbs Rugged or No 2247

This is the Hamilton cut.

The Hamilton Specimen No 15 (1900) stated the “Ben Franklin Series is made in wood by permission of Keystone Type Foundry, Philadelphia.”

In American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century, Mac McGrew stated that Ben Franklin types (Regular & Open) were originated as foundry type by Keystone Type Foundry in 1899, with Condensed added in 1904.

Tubbs showed a regular and condensed version of this face in the
c. 1904 Tubbs Wood Type.

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

Character Quantities

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

Additional Specimens & Other Content

antique original wood type specimen catalog from wood type manufacturers in the 1800s featuring Ben Franklin type

Specimens of Hamilton’s Wood Type Cut on End-Grain Rock Maple (1904); Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.

Ben Franklin specimen book page from American Wood Type 1828-1900 by Rob Roy Kelly

Ben Franklin, page 241, 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, capital letters in blue and black ink showcasing the word drama!

From RRK Folio Revisited
Vianey Trejo, class of 2027
Folio Residency Session 3
2024