What are these?

Does anybody know what these are/what they are called? They seem to be made of solid brass, are type-high, and have an indentation on one side (are they decorative borders of some kind?). Thank you in advance for any help!

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image.jpg

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have a look at these and you’ll understand…

image: Screen Shot 2015-03-03 at 23.22.42.png

Screen Shot 2015-03-03 at 23.22.42.png

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Thy are rings for setting curved type. If they are type high then they will print a rule around the type as well. I have both, type high and lower than type high. I’ve used them once to do my own prop card.

image: RoundType.jpg

RoundType.jpg

image: RoundTypePress.jpg

RoundTypePress.jpg

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RoundPrint.jpg

I recall that in the early twentieth century Caslon (UK) catalogues the type-high ones were termed “pierced circles and ovals”.

For short print runs the gaps between type are usually filled with slivers of card and leading.

For longer print runs, printers’ manuals recommended running a thin slurry of liquid plaster into the gaps and waiting a few hours or overnight for it to set.

These have been sitting in a galley for 40-45 years.They were used to make union buttons. I doubt I will ever use them. Assortment of sizes if anyone is interested.

image: circles.JPG

circles.JPG

I would love a couple of larger ones.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sos222/5126593677/in/set-72157631882944777

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sos222/16943525526/in/set-
72157649303550974

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sos222/16368702793/