whats the first year of the baltimore # 11 look at this one

I’m sorry I can’t be of any help but I just have to say that is probably the prettiest little press I have ever seen!
Could this base be from some other thing and have been welded on sometime in the distant past and given as a gift?
It’s so fancy! I wonder if its a one of a kind. Highly unreasonable because of the difficulty in casting etc., I know, but not undoable.

I’m actually wondering if the ink disc was replaced by a custom made one at some stage..?

This may sound crazy, but I wondered if it really was intended to be used. Just like some people may have a collector or special model of a guitar that is never used but is for a special occasion. Someone who is really into printing would have to know that press isn’t stay that pretty. Just an idea. Ron

Oops…should have been WON’T stay that pretty…Ron

I agree with Ron and CPierson. Most likely it is either a display press or an altered piece.

I thought the ink disc was a stool top at first. :-)

Thanks for your comments, I think from the shape it’s in it was A gift that sat on someone’s desk for years. I touched up the paint trying not to lose the years of patina the base of the press it self is square to fit in the cast iron base possibly cut or ground in that shape. The ink wheel is A standard wheel with A cast iron ring it fits in to. It’s now the diamond in my collection, I am A printer of 30 years and collect small presses just for fun I say the smaller the better. Todd

@toddspresstime

I was planning to do a bit of paint touch-up on my Sigwalt Chicago #9 (very similar to a Baltimorean) but couldn’t figure what paint can be used on a cast-iron piece like that (without stripping the historic layer).

Let me know what you did there.

oprion; for the touch up I been useing Rust Oleum black satin enamel from A spray can I spray it in to the top and brush it on it’s thinner then the cans. for the patina I top it off with minwax helmsman out door spar urethane clear satin oil base it’s realy not clear the oil base has A yellow tint to it and it drys with A flat finish. not rocket science but look close.

toddspresstime: What about the gold accents?

Try to locate a paint store that carries One Shot sign paint (some art stores as well as auto paint suppliers do, and there are some on-line suppliers). They sell gold paint used by pinstripers and sign painters. There are several gold colors available last time I checked. Try to match the color of your gold with theirs.

Paul