1948 Erika Model M Typewriter with Historical interest

During World War II, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands took refuge in the United Kingdom and and senior members of the Dutch government set up a government-in-exile in London. Among the Royal Court officials was a gentleman who developed business interests there and, shortly after the war, purchased this typewriter. It was kept within the family until Acme acquired it a short time ago and we are proud to offer it now to a new owner.
This is an exceptionally fine example of an Erika Model "M" typewriter.  It was manufactured in 1948. This typewriter has an original QWERTY keyboard--quite rare in the Model M--and a rare typeface that is compact and handsome. It comes with the original hard case and the original cleaning brushes and has been fully reconditioned and working like new!
Connoisseurs of typewriters speak in the highest terms about Erika typewriters, especially the Model M. They are highly sought after for their typing action, reliability and beautifully sleek design. The Model M has been called: "the high point in the development of the Erika small typewriters" (Leonhard Dingwerth, in his "History of German Typewriters").
Overall, the finish is in excellent condition with only the lightest signs of wear or use. The chrome is in excellent condition. The rubber on the platen is smooth and clean and with an ideal platen hardness for typing (durometer (Shore A scale) hardness reading of ~90. The paper feed rollers are soft. This typewriter has been fully serviced, adjusted and cleaned and is ready for use. 
The M stands for "Meisterklasse" and indeed the Model M is the expression of a "master-class" in typewriter design and function. The Model M is one of the most highly and successfully engineered typing machines from the mid 20th century. The tab and margin keys (for changing, setting and removing) are on the sides of the spacebar. The typing action is swift and light. There is the possibility of line-spacing from 1 to 4 lines. It is capable of "sperrschrift" which is the action of a double space between each typed letter. 
 
 
Acme typewriters have been the choice of discerning collectors and writers more than 1,000 times since we began selling online in 2016. They are fully guaranteed to work. Most shipments to the US arrive in 3 days--often much faster than most domestic shipments within the US. Acme typewriters are carefully selected, beautifully restored and come with a one-year mechanical warranty and lifetime customer-service. Each comes with a lead seal, attached to the body, identifying it as a fully-restored Acme typewriter. Many new dealers strive to imitate us--none succeed. 
 
This machine has the possibility of Sperrschrift (extended spacing). This is a peculiarity of the German language that originates from the Frakturschrift, which did not allow for cursive script as a means of emphasizing. This way of emphasizing words or groups of words is outdated now. 
The typeface is a rare Elite with 12 characters to the inch—compact and handsome. I have only ever seen this typeface on one other Erika, and that one was from the 1920s. I suspect that this was a "custom order". The keyboard is original QWERTY with extra characters and accents for European languages. This typewriter comes with a new ribbon so that you can start typing immediately and with pleasure.
The case is in excellent condition, strong and solid. It has some wear but nothing serious and nothing that affects its use. I have chosen to not restore the colour on this case in order to preserve its authentic qualities.
For some interesting perspectives on the Erika Model M, please see:
https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-master-class-of-portable.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/978vj0/just_got_this_erika_model_m_the_quality_is_of_the/
Check our reviews to see how our clients react to the care we take in our packing and customer service. Don't hesitate to contact me for more photos or any other explanation of anything.
This extraordinary example of an Erika Model M will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to preserve its condition and beauty. We have a lot of experience in shipping typewriters and have an excellent track record for proper packing and safe delivery.