Jenson Old Style

6 Line

Box 007

Roman | Old Style | Uppercase, Lowercase & Figures

  • This type measures 6 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 American Type Founders Company’s June, 1896 circular New Style for Posters cut in wood.
  • This cut of Jenson Old Style was shown in American Wood Type on page 242 and in the folio on page 48.

Type name used by manufacturer:
Hamilton Jenson Old Style or No 642
Morgans & Wilcox Jenson [3147]
Tubbs Jenson Old Style or No 2199

This is the Hamilton cut.

The Hamilton Specimen No 14 (1899) noted that “Jenson Old Style is made by permission of the American Type Founders Co.”

In American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century Mac McGrew stated that the foundry cut of Jenson was “Designed by J.W. Phinney of the Dickinson Type Foundry (ATF/Boston) and cut by John F. Cumming in 1893, it was based on the Golden Type of William Morris for the Kelmscott Press in 1890; that in turn was based on the 1470–76 types of Nicolas Jenson.”

simple specimen of Jenson Old Style wood type from the Rob Roy Kelly collection, printed in the UT Design Lab

Character Quantities

  • A
    3
  • B
    3
  • C
    3
  • D
    3
  • E
    4
  • F
    3
  • G
    3
  • H
    3
  • I
    4
  • J
    2
  • K
    2
  • L
    4
  • M
    2
  • N
    3
  • O
    3
  • P
    2
  • Q
    2
  • R
    3
  • S
    4
  • T
    3
  • U
    3
  • V
    2
  • W
    2
  • X
    2
  • Y
    3
  • Z
    2
  • a
    3
  • b
    2
  • c
    3
  • d
    2
  • e
    4
  • f
    3
  • g
    2
  • h
    2
  • i
    4
  • j
    2
  • k
    2
  • l
    4
  • m
    2
  • n
    3
  • o
    4
  • p
    2
  • q
    2
  • r
    2
  • s
    3
  • t
    4
  • u
    3
  • v
    2
  • w
    2
  • x
    2
  • y
    2
  • z
    1
  • 0
    2
  • 1
    1
  • 2
    1
  • 3
    1
  • 4
    1
  • 5
    1
  • 6
    1
  • 7
    1
  • 8
    1
  • 9
    1
  • &
    2
  • $
    1
  • !
    -
  • 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 Jenson Old Style type

Hamilton’s Wood Type, Catalog No. 13 (1896); Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum.

Jenson Old Style specimen book page from American Wood Type 1828-1900 by Rob Roy Kelly

Jenson Old Style, page 242, American Wood Type 1828–1900, Rob Roy Kelly (1969)