This is a visual online representation of the »Database of American Typeface Design Patents« database.
In the Nineteenth Century, many American typefounders sought to protect their type designs with US "design" patents. These patents are useful sources for researching American type designs, but they present a difficulty because they do not include the commercial name of the typeface as it was issued. The database published here links the basic patent information (number, date, etc.) with the typeface names. It was compiled by the late Jane W. Roberts and put into publishable form by Saxe, and published by Dr. David M. MacMillan over here
Additions made to the online version: Preview images/thumbnails have been cropped manually to show most of the original design where possible. Designer names have been normalized to allow filtering by designer. Bug submission or suggestion are welcome: lars.schwarz@fontdata.com.
»Script No. 2000, Dbl Gt Primer«
Designed by Bruce, George for Bruce
Patent #D0000001 dated 09.11.1842
»Copperplate Script 1 No. 2002 Dbl Gt Primer«
Designed by Bruce, George for Bruce
Patent #D0000863 dated 06.01.1857
»Canon Copperplate Script 1 Nos.2002, 2003«
Designed by Bruce, George for Bruce
Patent #D0000940 dated 08.09.1857
No Image Available
»Script No. 2 Dbl Gt Primer«
Designed by Bruce, George for Bruce
Patent #D0001014 dated 15.06.1858
»Copperplate Script No. 2005 Gt Primer«
Designed by Bruce, George for Bruce
Patent #D0001033 dated 10.08.1858
»also listed as Orn. No. 1515 le & figs«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0002578 dated 12.02.1867
»Black Rimmed Shaded capitals«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0003245 dated 17.11.1868
»Orn. No. 20, Orn. No. 30, Orn. No. 1521«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0003371 dated 16.02.1869
»Broadgauge, Broadgauge Shaded«
Designed by Ruthven, Edwin C. for MSJ
Patent #D0003389 dated 23.02.1869
»Sloping Black, Sloping Black Shaded«
Designed by Witham, George Wm. for MSJ
Patent #D0003730 dated 26.10.1869
»Orn. No. 526 Extra Condensed Black«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0003770 dated 30.11.1869
»Medieval Text, MT Ornate, brass slotted corner«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0003813 dated 11.01.1870
»Title Text, TT Open 2, TT Open No. 3«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0004213 dated 05.07.1870
»Eureka Text, Eureka Text Shaded«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0004289 dated 09.08.1870
»Antique Shaded le – aka Gold Rush«
Designed by Bruce, Wallace for Bruce
Patent #D0004393 dated 11.10.1870
»Orn. No. 529 Black Ray Shaded«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0004552 dated 03.01.1871
»Extended Ornamented IBRS No. 529?]«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0004553 dated 03.01.1871
»Old English Ornamented«
Designed by Page, William H. for Paqe & Co.
Patent #D0004727 dated 21.03.1871
No Image Available
»Aetna«
Designed by Page, William H. for Page & Co.
Patent #D0004820 dated 18.04.1871
»Bank-Note Black Extended«
Designed by St. John, James A. for Boston
Patent #D0004982 dated 06.06.1871
»Orn. No. 1516 (Old-Style Ornamented]«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0004990 dated 13.06.1871
»Orn. No. 1526 (italic ornamernted)«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0004991 dated 13.06.1871
»Flourish caps for Excelsior Script«
Designed by Kay, Alexander for MSJ
Patent #D0005046 dated 27.06.1871
»Celtic Shaded, Celtic Single Shade«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0005477 dated 16.01.1872
»Card Black, Card Black Open«
Designed by Hine, Charles C. for Boston
Patent #D0005982 dated 16.07.1872
»Orn. No. 1530 ltallian Ornamented«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for Bruce
Patent #D0006075 dated 20.08.1872
»Castilian Ornamented«
Designed by Blackman, John F, for Vand. Wells
Patent #D0006342 dated 21.01.1873
»Cloister Shaded, Condensed Cloister Shaded«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0006351 dated 21.01.1873
»Ornamental Initial Letters 41st series«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0006769 dated 01.07.1873
»Aetna Double Extra Condensed«
Designed by Page, William H. for Paqe & Co.
Patent #D0007072 dated 23.12.1873
»Paneled Condensed No.1A«
Designed by Page, William H. for Paqe & Co.
Patent #D0007230 dated 03.03.1874
»Orn. No. 1490 border & caps«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for Bruce
Patent #D0007240 dated 10.03.1874
»Gothic Ornate, Gothic Ornate No. 2«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0008308 dated 04.05.1875
»Orn. No. 2051 Penman Script (?)«
Designed by Bruce, David Wolfe for Bruce
Patent #D0008945 dated 01.02.1876
Untitled (Secretary/Ronde style)
Designed by Bruce, David Wolfe for Bruce
Patent #D0009185 dated 04.04.1876
No Image Available
Untitled Gothic
Designed by Bruce, D. Wolfe for Bruce
Patent #D0009186 dated 04.04.1876
»Comb. Border series 81 Drapery Border«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0009197 dated 04.04.1876
Untitled (Old English / German Text style)
Designed by Jackson, William W. for Bruce
Patent #D0009198 dated 04.04.1876
»Illuminated, Illuminated No. 2«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0009400 dated 18.07.1876
»Orn. No. 539 Black Ornamented«
Designed by Bruce, D. Wolfe for Bruce
Patent #D0009857 dated 20.03.1877
No Image Available
»Orn. No. 538 Black Ornamented«
Designed by Herriet, Julius for Bruce
Patent #D0010022 dated 22.05.1877
»Italic Copperplate and.(Oblique?}«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0010417 dated 29.01.1878
»Glyptic, Glyptic No. 2, Glyptic Shaded«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0010517 dated 12.03.1878
»Grecian Border Series No. 55«
Designed by Giesecke, Georg F. for Conner??
Patent #D0010622 dated 09.04.1878
»Comb. Border Series 86 Elliptical Border«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0010667 dated 07.05.1878
»Spencerian Script, Condensed Spencerian Ser.«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0010673 dated 07.05.1878
»Colonnade Border, Series 121«
Designed by Ehlert, Heinrich for Conner
Patent #D0010745 dated 09.07.1878
»Combination Border, series 87 Book border«
Designed by Smith, Richard for MSJ
Patent #D0011039 dated 28.02.1879
»Grotesque, or Circular Gothic (check)«
Designed by Heyer, Charles E. for BBS
Patent #D0011404 dated 09.09.1879
»Comb. Border series 88 Japanese Border«
Designed by Jackson, William W. for MSJ
Patent #D0011440 dated 30.09.1879
»Mezzotint, Mezzotint Condensed«
Designed by Bailey, Jr. & James Gilbert for Boston
Patent #D0011757 dated 04.05.1880
»ZigZag Border No. 87, Oriental Border No. 90«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0011837 dated 29.06.1880
»Card Ornaments series 1, 2 check below«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0012136 dated 18.01.1881
»Comb. Border Chines series 91 check above«
Designed by Jackson, William W. for MSJ
Patent #D0012138 dated 18.01.1881
»Norman Italic«
Designed by Phemister, Pierce, Converse for Dickinson
Patent #D0012235 dated 26.04.1881
»Orn. No. 1068 [how is it different?]«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for Bruce
Patent #D0012263 dated 17.05.1881
»Comb. Border series 92 Egyptian Border, 2 sec«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0012338 dated 05.07.1891
»Anglican, Anglican No. 2, Light Medieval«
Designed by Conner, James M. for Conner
Patent #D0012401 dated 09.08.1881
»Orn. No. 1073 Celtic Ray Shaded«
Designed by Beeler, Charles H. Jr. for Bruce
Patent #D0012694 dated 17.01.1882
»Ladies Hand Script, LHS No. 2«
Designed by Müller, Carl for Marder
Patent #D0012801 dated 07.03.1882
»Aesthetic , Aesthetic No. 2«
Designed by Phemister, Pierce, Cumming for Boston
Patent #D0013328 dated 03.10.1882
»Lakeside Script, Lakeside Script No. 2«
Designed by Heyer, Charles E. for BBS
Patent #D0013560 dated 30.01.1883
»Octagon Shaded, Condensed Octagon«
Designed by Conner, James M. for Conner
Patent #D0013844 dated 10.04.1883
»Picturesque Combination Border No. 24«
Designed by Müller, Carl for Marder
Patent #D0013850 dated 10.04.1883
No Image Available
»Chinese?]«
Designed by Thorp, Henry H. for Cleveland
Patent #D0013993 dated 19.06.1883
No Image Available
Untitled design
Designed by St. John, James A. for Central
Patent #D0014011 dated 26.06.1883
No Image Available
Untitled design
Designed by Müller, Carl for Marder
Patent #D0014346 dated 09.10.1883
No Image Available
»[missing]«
Designed by Conner, James M. for Conner
Patent #D0014389 dated 06.11.1883
No Image Available
Untitled design
Designed by Cary, Charles J. for Baltimore
Patent #D0014390 dated 06.11.1883
No Image Available
»[Cary]«
Designed by Winchester , Theodore W. for Baltimore
Patent #D0014403 dated 06.11.1883
»Flourish Ornaments , series 3 & 4«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0015555 dated 18.11.1884
»Monumental Ornamented«
Designed by Mengel, John George Jr. for Mengel
Patent #D0015655 dated 30.12.1884
»Stencil Gothic (also called Cleft Gothic)«
Designed by West, John for BBS
Patent #D0015965 dated 10.03.1885
»German Gotisch caps figs«
Designed by Giesecke, George F. for Conner
Patent #D0016341 dated 20.10.1885
No Image Available
Untitled Gothic
Designed by Ruthven, Edwin C. for Bruce
Patent #D0016449 dated 29.12.1885
No Image Available
Untitled design
Designed by Schraubstadter, Carl Jr. for Central
Patent #D0016988 dated 16.11.1886
»Einfassung Serie LXXI«
Designed by Giesecke, George F. for Schelter & Giesecke
Patent #D0017403 dated 21.06.1887
»Kartuschen-Einfassung, Serie 72«
Designed by Giesecke, George F. for Schelter & Giesecke
Patent #D0017572 dated 09.08.1887
No Image Available
»Empire? Antler?«
Designed by Barnhart, Warren for BBS
Patent #D0017665 dated 30.08.1887
»Comb. Border, Series 99, & Fillet«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0020169 dated 23.09.1890
»Crayonette [Keystone TF]«
Designed by Brehmer, Henry for Burr,Dauchy
Patent #D0020192 dated 07.10.1890
»Comb. Ornaments , Series100 1st section«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0022007 dated 22.11.1892
»Columbus , Columbus No. 2, Columbus Outline«
Designed by Ihlenburg, Herman for MSJ
Patent #D0022021 dated 29.11.1892
»[R.H. Smith Mfq Co., Springfield , Mass.]«
Designed by Smith, RH & Wm.Frank Clark
Patent #D0024515 dated 30.07.1895
»Cosmopolitan Series«
Designed by Schraubstadter, William August for Conner?
Patent #D0025389 dated 14.04.1896