Vintage Adding Machine -- The Electronics Inside 49

a531016 - regarding your 'pound sign' explanation...

The use of the # symbol as shorthand for 'pound' would appear to predate ASCII. There are various mentions in printed books from the early 1900's where it suggests its use before a number is to be treated as a 'number sign' and after a number as a 'pound sign' e.g.


(from Google Books
https://books.google.co.uk/books?redir_esc=y&id=oCsOAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22number+or+pound+sign%22 )

The etymology would appear to trace it all the way back to 'libra pondo', the Latin for 'pound weight'. One theory is that later stylization of the the abbreviation for 'lb' went to the symbol '℔' and then on to the symbol '#'.

I've noticed that on some typewriters from the late 1800's it is depicted more with the two horizontal bars sloping backwards, e.g. Remington:

https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:2574435$52i

and Blickensderfer:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Blickensderfer_No._5_Portable_Typewriter%2C_1889%2C_made_by_Blickensdorf_Manufacturing_Company_-_Museum_of_Science_and_Industry_%28Chicago%29_-_DSC06623.JPG

so two different brands using the same distinct styling.

This styling is perhaps similar as to how Isaac Newton scribed it in his writings.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Libra_pondo_abbreviation_newton.jpg

What would be interesting is what the function is of the # key as used on the accounting machine here. It looks like it is an important key, although on later machines it appears to have been moved to a smaller less used button key.

Well - I (clearly) never knew that! Thank you for clarifying!

Although, just to set myself up for another correction, do you know the origins of the ampersand (&)? This one blew me away when I found out!

The origin I am familiar with is the children reciting their alphabet, where they would say ".. x, y, z, and per se and".

( If you are interested in the etymology of words then perhaps check out the weekly 'Something Rhymes with Purple' podcast hosted by renowned lexicographer Susie Dent along with Gyles Brandreth.
https://feeds.megaphone.fm/somethingrhymeswithpurple )

It is essentially a single character contraction of the French "et". Some typefaces still show it as Et...

I always like to learn (mostly useless) facts and things!

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll give it a try.

It is essentially a single character contraction of the French "et". Some typefaces still show it as Et...

I always like to learn (mostly useless) facts and things!

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll give it a try.