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In the September issue of the magazine, Brian King wrote an interesting piece on how he discovered a metal stamping machine in Australia. It's marked: 'Made by the British Automatic Co. Ltd., 14 Appold Street, London EC', although no one seems to have heard of them.
I suggested in the magazine that the British Automatic Co. were probably distributors or dealers, and that the machine appears to be by the American Roovers Brothers.
Does anyone have any ideas? It would be nice to have an answer before the next issue of the mag.

Although I don't know the manufacturer, there used to be one of these sitting out in all weathers (even through the winter) on the seafront at Paignton.
I grew up there and remember it well, it certainly looked the same.

badpenny

I'm sure there was one at Battersea Funfair too, probably around 40 years ago. I remember turning that big dial and ending up with a metal strip embossed (like a Dymo label) with my name. Eeeeh... I'd forgotten all about that machine.

There were several of these machines at the Kursaal in Southend during the 70s.

I can also remember the one at Paignton, I stamped out a name on its aluminium strip for a model sailing boat, this would be around the late 1950s to early 1960s, those strips were damn sharp at the ends, nothing like a bit of good old fashioned danger to make a kid aware !!

There was also one sitting on the platform at Swindon Station...........strange ?

Perhaps the stationmaster thought the punters would like to label their suitcases whilst diligently waiting for their fire-breathing steaming monster to arrive.

Debby Smith recalls using one of these metal stampers at the Isle of Wight Newport Railway Station in Isle of Wight Nostalgia - Memories.

Jonathan Walker remembers playing penny arcade slot machines on the sea front at Ventnor.

I think the stamper mystery has now been solved. A full feature will be included in the next issue of the magazine, and will be posted here in due course. In the meantime, I can reveal that at least one BAC stamper exists in this country, and is located at the National Railway Museum, York.

Interesting photos Jerry, do you think the machines 'instruction' sheet is original, showing the '10 letters 10p', if so presumably BAC were still manufacturing or at least supplying them in the 1970s to a design that looked 40 or 50 years older.

Interesting styling, the machine in the York, with it's top fascia echoing an Art Deco form whilst the sloping top and body having panels resembling an art nouveau theme, and those classical cabinet makers legs !!

A wonderfully eccentric machine.

Arrgee, the instructions are not original as the machine is almost certainly pre WWI - it's been converted to 10p play. All will be revealed in the next issue of the magazine.

Ah..... hence the 'old-ish' style appearance, I look forward to receiving the next issue of MMM and reading about it.

I thought it was about time I updated this thread!
I revealed in the November issue that it appears the BAC stampers were produced by Simplex Manufacturing Co. It is thought that a small number of Simplex machines have survived, although I have been unable to confirm the whereabouts of any survivors. I have just one picture of a surviving machine, which sold at auction in France a few years ago.

Here's a picture I published in the November issue, of a wonderful collection of cast iron machines, including a BAC/Simplex stamper. I reported in the magazine that the location is Broadstairs, Kent. However, I have since learnt that it was actually Ramsgate (a few miles down the road)!

Adding to the relevant thread, but the below stamper which finished at a Cardiff auction today appears not to be like Roovers or BAC styles, but looks to have some age as well. Obviously some of it has been replaced or add to like the marque, legs and possibly the top piece of wood, but that silver dial is very distinctive.

Price for an old item and working seemed cheap as well at £650 +£137 commission

Anyone know anything about this machine...