1925 Mignon #4
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1925 Mignon #4A German Point-and-Type Machine
This ingeniously simple-to-use typewriter was described by Darryl Rehr, author of
Antique Typewriters & Office Collectibles, as “…without a doubt the very best index machine that was ever made.”
It was the first German typewriter produced by the Allgemeine Elektrizitats Gesellschaft (AEG), in Frankfurt, Germany, which also marketed Olympia typewriters.
With the left hand, the user points the hanging stylus at the characters on the curved chart (or “index”), selects the one to be printed, and then, with the right hand, presses the large “print” key on the front right of the machine, which actuates a shaft geared to a character-filled type sleeve which rotates, aligns and presses the character down to the ribbon and onto the paper — all in one fluid motion!
The large key on the left advances the carriage and platen. The smaller key on the front right is the backspace key.
Three simple keys and the stylus are the only controls required to operate the machine.
A set of guide combs (seen next to the rounded black cover), assures that the selected characters are correctly aligned before printing. A ribbon on either side of the type sleeve cover can be easily set to change direction assuring a fresh ink surface.
The typewriter mechanism is elegantly simple, sturdy, quite reliable and requires a minimum of moving parts.
Interchangeable type sleeves with different languages, or with specialty characters, and their corresponding charts/indices can be quickly changed by the user.
This machine does not include a carrying case.
A total of about 380,000 Mignon typewriters were manufactured in Germany over a period of 28 years.
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The 1925 Mignon #4 is an index machine using a stylus to actuate a downstrike type-sleeve mechanism.
Overall condition: Good
Year: 1925
Serial No.: 211230
Type language: English
Manufactured by the Allgemeine Elektrizitats Gesellschaft (AEG), Frankfurt, Germany
