Reply To: Reproduction Missouri Pacific ticket dater dies

[Bill Pollard]

Here are some examples to consider (all die images have been reversed for easier viewing):
[attachment=2:3nbhmznz]Conway.jpg[/attachment:3nbhmznz] [attachment=1:3nbhmznz]memphis.jpg[/attachment:3nbhmznz] [attachment=0:3nbhmznz]tower-grove.jpg[/attachment:3nbhmznz]
The Conway die is known to be original, down to the ink and gunk that often clogged these dies. The Memphis die has identical font size and machine marks on the side of the die, but is so new as to appear unused. Keep in mind that this die would have been manufactured no later than 1980 and probably a decade earlier. Ultrasonic cleaning could have removed the gunk and the brass patina, but there is very little evidence that this die was “hammered” by dating tickets, waybills or other forms. At this point, the determination about the Memphis die remains a matter of discussion, although if it is a reproduction, it is a near perfect replication. The Tower Grove die is obviously a fake — the uniform font size is the first red flag, compared to Missouri Pacific’s standard design, and the wording is also not standard.

If others have information about any of these die styles, please post.

Bill Pollard