Erika Model 5 Typewriter with Mahogany-crackle Finish (1933)

ERIKA MODEL 5 TYPEWRITER· 1933 Mahogany Crackle Finish · Perl-Schrift Elite Typeface

This 1933 Erika Model 5 was manufactured by Seidel & Naumann in Dresden and is finished in a rich mahogany crackle. It is a wonderfully compact typewriter: light and portable with a fine typing feel. It has an Elite typeface known as Perl-Schrift, with 11.5 characters per inch. The keyboard can be ordered either as QWERTY or QWERTZ. This typewriter is accompanied by its original brown hard case in fine condition, together with the original cleaning brush. 

Introduced in the late 1920s, the Model 5 was an important step in the development of the Erika portable. It brought a modern four-row keyboard to Seidel & Naumann’s compact machines and established the mechanical architecture from which later Erika models developed. The Model 5 uses the Wagner mechanism, giving it a notably even and comparatively soft key action for a portable of this period; contemporary collectors regularly remark on the light touch and precise carriage movement of well-adjusted examples.

The Perl-Schrift typeface gives this machine a particularly compact and elegant typed page. At approximately 11.5 c.p.i., it sits between conventional Pica and the finer 12-pitch Elite standards more familiar on later machines, producing a dense but highly legible text. Against the mahogany crackle finish and dark brown case, the overall character is distinctly early-1930s German: restrained, technical and exceptionally well resolved.

This typewriter has been restored by Acme to our highest standard. The mechanism has been carefully cleaned, adjusted and calibrated, preserving the original finish, keyboard and case. It bears the permanent Acme Seal, attached discretely on the mechanism, identifying restoration within our workshop and providing enduring provenance.

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Specifications

Maker: A.G. vorm. Seidel & Naumann Model: Erika Model 5 Year: 1933 Place of Manufacture: Dresden, Germany Finish: Original mahogany crackle Keyboard: QWERTY or QWERTZ Typeface: Perl-Schrift Elite Pitch: Approximately 11.5 characters per inch Configuration: Portable manual typewriter Case: Original brown hard case in fine condition Accessories: Original cleaning brush Restoration: Acme Type Machine Company, bearing the permanent Acme Seal, attached discretely on the mechanism Warranty: Two-year mechanical guarantee