SORRY, SOLD! Rare 1953 Halberg Typewriter
Here we have an exceptionally rare HALBERG portable typewriter in very nice condition. This typewriter is considered to be among the rarest of the post-war typewriters produced in Europe and, importantly, was the precursor to one of the most popular typewriters of the post-war period, the Royal Royalite. Please note that this typewriter has been fully restored, cleaned, lubricated and adjusted. It is ready to use.
The Halberg typewriter was only produced between 1952 and 1954. They were manufactured by the Halberg Machinefabriek in the Netherlands. In 1954, the factory was taken over by the Royal Typewriter Company, who formed a subsidiary known as Royal Typewriters Holland NV. Royal then redesigned the machine, renamed it as the Royalite and ceased production of the original Halberg.
The Halberg typewriter was marketed under the names "Halberg", "Halberg Traveller" and "Halberg Junior". Various forms of the logo were used--and sometimes no logo at all--always on the ribbon cover. This may have to do with the availability of materials and of manufacturing capability in post-war Holland. These were all the same machines and only were marketed under the different names in different countries. The majority of Halbergs were marked on the rear panel: "Halberg Machinefabriek N.V. Made in Holland". The "Made in Holland" part was adapted to the language of the country wherein it would be sold. It was designed in the early 1950s as the commercial interest in super-portable typewriters was becoming strong.
Acme typewriters have been the choice of discerning collectors and writers more than 1,000 times since we began selling online in 2016. We safely ship your typewriter from our gallery in the Netherlands and delivery time to the US averages only 3 days—this is a quicker delivery time even than most domestic shipments within the US! Acme typewriters are guaranteed to arrive safely at your door, are covered by a 1-year warranty, and come with lifetime customer-care.
With an ACME Typewriter, you know you are getting a fully-working--as original--typewriter. The only thing that you have to do is sit down, put paper on the roller and start typing. Your typewriter comes with the "Acme" lead certification seal which permanently identifies it as a genuine Acme-restored typewriter and provides for a one-year warranty at no charge. In terms of an investment, the Acme Seal proves that this machine was restored in 2023 by the Acme Type Machine Company. This can add value in the event that you wish to sell this typewriter in the future.
This particular Halberg is in very nice cosmetic condition although there are some signs of wear and use. We have purposely not "over-restored" it, opting instead to retain a sense of historical presence while at the same time assuring, through our full mechanical restoration, that it will type well and properly if you chose to use it in that way.
[Note added 27/03/2024: A client recently noted that there are cracks on 4 of the keytops. These are superficial cracks existing only on the surface of the keytop. I tested the cracked ones and all the others and they are solid otherwise. No looseness, no wobble, no indication of deeper structural changes. I will guarantee, for life, that the keytops will not break. In the event that one does, I will make a full refund for the typewriter, and you may keep the typewriter.)
Mechanically this typewriter is in fine working condition. The chrome is unblemished and uncorroded. The platen is clean and smooth. All the other rubber parts (paper feeder rollers, case handle, feet and internal bumpers) are in excellent condition and still soft. Everything works as it should and as originally designed. It has been serviced, adjusted and fully cleaned inside and out, and has a new ribbon so you can start typing immediately.
The case cover is in very good, original condition. The closure works perfectly and the rubber handle is solid and strong with a clear Halberg logo. The interior is overall in very good condition although with some signs of wear and use. There are some areas of wear and loss of original paint on the exterior of the case; these areas have been retouched.
The typeface is Pica (10 cpi). You can see from the typing sample that, unlike some Halbergs for sale, the characters are all clear, precise and have been carefully adjusted and aligned. Note that the alignment of uppercase and lowercase letters and small letters is true as is the general character alignment. The keyboard is QWERTY, common to English language writers, but it also has accent keys for other European languages.
For some discussion of the Halberg typewriter, please see:
https://oztypewriter.blogspot.com/2014/09/halberg-portable-typewriter.html
http://royaltypewriters.blogspot.com/2013/09/all-about-royalite.html
https://www.sommeregger.name/typewriters/collection/halberg_portable_typewriter.html
http://www.willdavis.org/Halberg.htmlThis fine example of a HALBERG typewriter 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. It will be fully insured during shipment.