This late 1954 (serial number 5A 481515) Smith-Corona is US-made and was bought in
Boston, Massachusetts. Somehow it made its way to Australia from
there. It has a very nice fawn-coloured, patterned, square case, unlike the round-edged
cases that usually come with this model. Apart from the manual (below) and a
Smith-Corona brochure, which includes information about other models in the
series, it came with a touch typing instruction sheet, a packet of Tipp-Ex and a box of Tixo type cleaners - something I'd never seen
before. I called it "Silence
is Golden" because of the marigold colour and because I was under the
mistaken belief it was a Silent, like the model I revamped for Richard Amery. The brochure with it highlighted a Silent. In fact, this is a Sterling, I now realise. "Sterling Gold"? OK, I may change the name. Easy enouigh to do.
Apart from pounds sterling and dollar symbols, the keyboard
has these Mars and Venus gender symbols:
2 comments:
I wonder why it was necessary to make so many different models with such small differences. Looking at the brochure, it shows the Clipper was $87.50, the Sterling was $92.50 and the Silent was $97.50. Three different models span just a $10 price difference.
Well said Robert. The SC has some absolutely adorable mechanical devices, from a techie's point of view, the articulated keys, the single-move escapement, the fusee carriage drum spiral, the well-formed aluminium castings, and more, but the color? For anybody the slightest bit sensitive, it can bring on depression and torpidity. Yellow is a very good choice. I think I will paint mine 'Penguin' Orange! Thanks.
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