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Early Office Museum
Antique Check Protector Gallery
~ 1869-1899 ~

Ad Illustration Click to Enlarge	Model, Years Patented, Years Advertising Observed, Manufacturer	Photograph Click to Enlarge
1869 ad	Berolzheimer Check Protector Patented 1869 U.S. Patent No. 97,344 awarded to Max Emanuel Berolzheimer New York, NY This check protector was designed to punch holes in checks that had been printed for use with this particular machine. This patent is the earliest evidence of a mechanical check protector that we have found.  We do not know whether it was actually marketed.  The top illustration to the left shows the machine.  The bottom illustration to the left shows the pattern that was printed on the checks as well as another image of the machine and an image of the female die.	.
1874 ad	National Safety Check Punch Patented 1870 ~ Exhibition Awards 1870-71, 1874 ~ Advertised 1872-74, 1879 J. B. Parks, New York, NY (1872) John G. Hodge & Co., New York, NY (1874) 1879 Price $25 Photo to right courtesy of Larry Meeker
.	Cory Safety Check Punch 1871 In 1871, Charles Cory & Son, New York, NY, won an award for the "best safety check punch"  at the 39th Annual Exhibition of the American Institute of the City of New York.  No image is available.	.
1871 ad	Improved Perforating Stamp Advertised 1871 J. G. Moody New York, NY	.
.	Perfection Check Protector Patented 1872 U.S.
.	Check Protector Exhibited 1876 G. K. Cooke & Co. New York, NY International Exposition 1876 Official Catalogue," Philadelphia, records that George K. Cooke exhibited check protectors. No illustration or other evidence of these devices is available.	.
.	Perforating Machine for Checks Exhibited 1876 John R. Hoole New York, NY International Exposition 1876 Official Catalogue," Philadelphia, records that John R. Hoole exhibited a perforating machine for checks. No illustration or other evidence of this machine is available.	.
	Bank Check Protector Advertised 1878 A. Alex. Pool & Co. Newark, NJ	.
	Monitor Check Protector (a.k.a. Monarch Check Protector) Patented 1874 (US Patent No. 153,059 awarded to R.H. Smith) ~ Advertised 1883-89, 1892 R. H. Smith Mfg. Co., Springfield, MA (1883) Eaton & Ellsworth (cast on the machine to right) Photo to right courtesy of Mike Guthrie
.	Automaton Check Perforator Advertised 1883 Made by R. H. Smith Mfg. Co., Springfield, MA (1883) "Finer in construction and more costly" than the Monitor Check Protector. No image available.	.
	Automatic Bank Punch (a.k.a. Automatic Check Punch, Williams Automatic Bank Punch, Williams Brothers Automatic Bank Punch, Roberts Cheque Protector) 1883 and 1884 German publications listed this machine by name as existing in 1882 and 1883 Patented 1884-85 ~ Advertised 1884-1914 Automatic Bank Punch Co., New York, NY, and later Brooklyn, NY Initially made at the Brady Mfg. Co., Brooklyn, NY (1884-85) This machine was invented by John Newton Williams (1840-1929), who went on to invent Williams typewriters (1891-1909). An 1892 advertisement claimed that over 15,000 Automatic Bank Punches were in use. The 1892 price was $25. Also, in 1892 the Clerk of the U.S. Treasury Department took the extraordinary step of stating "To Whom It May Concern" that the Automatic Bank Punch had been "found to serve the purpose better than any other machine in the market." Naturally, this endorsement by the Treasury Department was featured in ads for the Automatic Bank Punch. In 1892, the Automatic Bank Punch Co. also stated "We have just filled large orders for the Treasury and War Departments. Over four hundred thousand United States Treasurer's checks were cut by the AUTOMATIC last year." An 1896 ad claimed that over 18,000 Automatic Bank Punches were in use. This ad also stated that the new improved model cut the number "3" with a flat top, rather than the rounded top cut by earlier models. An 1897 ad claimed that two-thirds of bankers and banking houses in the US used Automatic Bank Punches. An 1899 ad claimed that over 22,000 Automatic Check Punches were in use.
.	Bank Check Punch Received Honorable Mention at Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, 1884 and 1887. Exhibited elsewhere in 1890. On published product lists 1890, 1893. Mechanical Specialties Manufacturing Co. a.k.a. Mechanical Specialty Mfg. Co. Boston, MA No image is available.	.
	Gregory Combination Draft, Check or Note Protector Advertised 1886 Schlicht & Field Co. Rochester, NY	.
	Automatic Check Perforator (top and second left)  & Automatic Bank Punch (third left) Advertised 1887 US (top), 1888-91 US (second), 1889 Germany (third), 1913 France (bottom) In 1891, C.H. Hansen, Chicago, IL, advertised this machine as "imported."	.
	Standard Automatic Safety Check Punch  (a.k.a. Standard Check Punch) (a.k.a. Lowden Bank Punch) Patented 1887-91 ~ Advertised 1888-95 Hoggson & Pettis Manufacturing Company New Haven, CT Hoggson & Pettis Mfg. Co. was listed as a manufacturer of check punches in an 1899 directory of New Haven manufacturers.
1890 & 1891 ad Insert image from Office 11/89.	Abbott Automatic Check Perforator Marketed 1888 ~ Patented 1889-91 ~ Advertised 1889-94 ~ Marketed 1905 Abbott Machine Company Chicago, IL Photograph shows second (1891) model.  Some examples have only the 1889 patent date, while others have 1889 and 1891 patent dates.
.	Abbott Automatic Check Perforator -- European Model
.	Abbott Automatic Check Perforator -- Variation Patented 1889-91
Insert image from Office 7/89.	Chicago Check Perforator Patented 1889 ~ Advertised 1889 B.F. Cummins Company Bonn Brothers, Sole Agents Chicago, IL 1893 Price $15. Price reduced to $10 in 1895
	Chicago Check Perforator Patented 1889-92 ~ Advertised 1890-1930 B. F. Cummins Company Chicago, IL, and New York, NY 1893 Price $15. Price reduced to $10 in 1895. 1899 Price $10. An 1899 ad stated that the number of Chicago Check Perforators in use was larger than the number of all other makes combined. The claim was carefully worded so that the comparison was only among check "perforators," and therefore did not include check punches. That said, a 1903 ad stated "43,000 in daily use." If accurate, this claim indicates that before 1903 the total number of Chicago Check Perforators that had been sold exceeded the number of Automatic Bank Punches that had been sold (see above).
1891 ad. Courtesy of the Museum of Business History and Technology.	Check Perforator Attachment for Odell Typewriter Typewriter Patented 1889-90 ~ Typewriter & Perforator Advertised 1890-92 Odell Typewriter Co., Chicago, IL 1890 Price for Typewriter and Perforator Attachment $20 (double case typewriter) or $15 (single case) Photos right show the parts of the attachment. According to an 1891 ad, the Odell was "the only typewriter in the world having a check perforator attachment."
	Lane Check Punch U.S. Patent No. 423,609 awarded in 1890 to Alvin V. Lane Marketed 1890 by C.H. Hansen, Chicago, and Alvin V. Lane, Dallas, TX	.
	U.S. Check Punch Advertised 1890 U.S. Check Punch Co. Cleveland, OH The "U.S." was said to refer to the "united security" obtained by ink and puncture	.
Insert image from Office 3/90	U.S. Check Punch Patented 1888-91 ~ Advertised 1891-93 U.S. Check Punch Co. New York, NY (1891-93), Newark, NJ (1892) Sloan, Chace & Co., Newark, NJ
.	Williams Cheque Punch Patented 1877-90 In 1892 John Newton Williams filed, and in 1893 he received, what appears to be a related patent (U.S. Patent No. 511,313) The Williams Cheque Punch Co. The Williams Hubbard Cheque Punch Co. London, England, and New York, NY
Replace image from Office 3/90	Lightning Check Punch Patented 1890 ~ Advertised 1890-94 Lightning Check Punch Company Bridgeport, CT Marlboro, MA 1891 Price $20 reduced to $15 In 1896, "The Entire Equipment of the Lightning Check Punch Co." was offered for sale as part of a "Fine Lot of Second-Hand Machinery" (American Machinist, Feb. 13, 1896)
	Acme Check Perforator Patented 1890 ~ Advertised 1892-94 Acme Manufacturing Co., Chicago, IL Acme Check Perforator Co., Chicago, IL (1893) 1890 Price $25	.
.	Unique Check Punch Patented 1889-92 ~ Advertised 1892
	Climax Check Punch Patented 1890 ~ Advertised 1893 The Lightning Check Punch Company Bridgeport, CT	See Russo, Office Collectibles, 2000, p. 82
.	Mattson Check Perforator Anders Mattson Mora, Dalarna, Sweden The only information we have found on this manufacturer follows: "[I]n the last few generations some ingenious inventions have been made which are still being made use of by their descendants. Thus Anders Mattson's Engineering Works at Mora...are the...manufacturers...of Mattson's drills..." Gerda Boëthius, Dalarna: A Description of Its Scenery, Its People and Its Culture, Stockholm Turisttrafikförbundet, V. Petterson, 1930, p. 138.
.	Check Protector Patented 1893 Clark & Roberts Indianapolis, IN
Image coming	Berlin Check Punch Advertised 1893 U.S.	.
.	Matchless Safety Check Punch Marketed 1893  The Office Men's Record reported in 1893 that "The Matchless Safety Check Punch punctures the paper, breaks the fibre and makes a plain figure."	No image available
1895 ad	Champion Check Perforator (a.k.a. Nafew Check Perforator, Nafew-Lovell Check Protector, S&P Check Protector)  Patented 1895 ~ Advertised 1895-1922 Geo. A. Powers, NY, NY (Champion, 1895) Samuel Nafew Co., NY, NY (1895-99) Sittman & Pitt Co., Brooklyn, NY (1901-10) Cushman & Denison Mfg. Co., New York, NY (S&P, 1910-16) In 1897, Nafew advertised that it had reduced the price to $5.	Japanned finish  Nickel-plated
	Indelible Check Perforator (a.k.a. Wesley Check Perforator, Benson's Imp B Indelible Check Perforator)  Patented 1890-97 ~ Advertised 1896-1912 Wesley Manufacturing Company New York, NY 1896 Price $5. J. B. Benson was selling check protectors in 1900 at a price of $7.50.
	Royal Automatic (a.k.a Indelible) Check Perforator Patented 1898~ Advertised 1898-1903 ~ Marketed 1905 Rouss Manufacturing Company New York, NY $3.50 in 1898 "It perforates any part of a Check, the top, bottom or centre. The perforations are filled with an an Acid-Proof Ink."

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