Mystery Metal Label Stamper

[JC]

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.

[badpenny]

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

[Yorkshire Pudding]

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.

[cheeky]

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

[arrgee]

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.

[pennymachines]

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.

[JC]

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.

[arrgee]

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.

[JC]

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.

[arrgee]

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