Models
Standard & Export
Oliver No. 1
Courtesy Auction Team Breker
The Oliver No. 1 is distinguishable from later models by its flat side handles and unique side panels. They were nickel-plated and have a black paper table. The rod connecting the type towers was introduced during Oliver No. 1 production. Earlier machines have metal key combs while later machines often have composite key combs. Eventually, a paper table decal was added and the letters and figures on the key tops were swapped.
Oliver No. 2
The Oliver No. 2 introduced the iconic curved side handles, as well as a thicker base and updated side panels. Early specimens were nickel-plated with black keys, resembling the Oliver No. 1. The No. 2 was also available in an olive green finish with white keys upon request. Over time, olive green became standard and the nickel finish was available upon request. White or black keys could be paired with either finish, if desired. Many features of the No. 2 were updated throughout its production run, most notably the ribbon spool covers and the side panels.
Oliver Nos. 3 & 4
The Oliver No. 3 is very similar to the No. 2, with the primary difference being the height of the base. Most Oliver No. 3 machines sold domestically were olive green with white keys but some were nickel-plated upon request. If desired, white key tops could be substituted for black key tops. Minor improvements were common throughout the production of the No. 3, include castings of the base, the shift lock lever, and ribbon boxes. The No. 3 stands as the third-most produced Oliver model of all time. The Oliver No. 4, the first export Oliver model, is a 32-key version of the No. 3, introduced in 1904.
Oliver Nos. 5 & 6
The Oliver No. 5 features a redesigned base, making the overall size of the machine larger compared to previous models. Early No. 5 machines had a ruling device which held a stick of graphite or an optional wheel attachment. Also found on early No. 5 machines are celluloid key covers. The ruling device was eventually updated to accept a standard wooden pencil, and the key covers were updated to more traditional key tops. Other notable improvements to the No. 5 include the introduction of the tabulator, backspacer, and an optional typeface called Printype. These features helped propel the No. 5 to become the second-most produced Oliver model ever. The Oliver No. 6 is the export version of the No. 5. Updates made to the No. 5 throughout production also found their way onto the No. 6.
Oliver Nos. 7 & 8
The Oliver No. 7 introduced a new body style that inspired all succeeding downstrike models. This model is a precursor to the No. 9. The No. 7 is so similar to the No. 9 that it could easily be mistaken for one from a distance. Like previous models, the Oliver No. 7 has capital and figure shift keys only on the left side of the keyboard, whereas the No. 9 has shift keys on both sides. Features unique to the No. 7 include the raised protrusion on the ribbon spool covers, the updated paper bail, and metal clips which secure the ribbon to the ribbon shaft. The Oliver No. 8 is the 32-key export version of the No. 7. It was produced in very limited numbers compared to other export models.
Oliver Nos. 9 & 10
The Oliver No. 9 was produced in the largest quantity of any Oliver model. It is an updated version of the No. 7, featuring capital and figure shift keys on both sides of the keyboard and knobs on the ribbon spool covers. The No. 9 uses wooden ribbon spools and has simplified paper bail, both features last seen on Oliver Nos. 5 and 6. The Oliver No. 10, the 32-key export version of the No. 9, is one of the most common export Oliver models.
Oliver Nos. 11 & 12
The Oliver No. 11 was the last standard Oliver model produced in the United States. Its base is similar to Nos. 7 and 9, but lacks the classic side handles. The base also features a black finish with gold pinstriping, a significant change from the olive green finish of previous models. The No. 11 also introduced a redesigned decal on the paper table, round key tops, and updated ribbon covers with an inner disk to help manage the ribbon. The No. 11 abandoned the pencil carrier found on the right type tower of every Oliver model since No. 5. The Oliver No. 12 was the last 32-key export model produced in the United States.
Oliver Nos. 15 & 16
The Oliver No. 15 was the first Oliver model produced in England. It resembles the No. 11, but features attached ribbon spool covers, which pivot to access the ribbon. Another noteworthy feature is the letter-designated carriage sizes that are seen on some No. 15 machines. The first 20,000 machines were produced for the general public. Earlier specimens feature ring-and-glass keys, display The British Oliver / Made in England on the front, and have a gloss finish with nickel-plated accents. Over time, the keys changed to black composite and the finish changed to crinkle with blackened accents. An updated front decal displaying OLIVER / MADE IN ENGLAND was initially used alongside the original decal, but eventually replaced the original decal entirely. The Oliver No. 15 was later produced for the British government during World War II. These were all in the latest style produced for the general public, featuring a crinkle finish with blackened accents and black key tops. The Oliver No. 16 was the only 32-key export Oliver model produced in England. The No. 16 machines are styled like early specimens of the No. 15.
Way-billing Machine/Tabulator
Woodstock
Linotype Company/Canadian
Canadian Oliver No. 2
Courtesy Maxim Suravegin
Canadian No. 2 machines, some of which have vertically-mounted ribbon spools, are based on early specimens of the Oliver No. 2 machines manufactured in Woodstock.
Canadian Oliver No. 3
Earlier Canadian No. 3 machines have black keys, vertically mounted ribbon spools, and side panels displaying OLIVER in an unusual blocky typeface. These features, as well as the keyboard layout, were progressively updated to make the Canadian No. 3 more closely resemble the No. 3 produced by The Oliver Typewriter Company. Canadian Oliver No. 3 machines retained some parts of the Canadian Oliver No. 2, including the shift lock lever. They also have different mounting hole locations than the No. 3 machines manufactured in Woodstock.
Latin American
Latina Nos. 2–8
Oliver No. L–10
The Oliver No. 9 was rebranded for Latin America as the Oliver No. L-10. Some versions have no branding below the keyboard, while others have a decal (as seen above) or red plaque. Some Oliver No. L-10 machines were painted olive green by special order.
Oliver Nos. L–12 & L–13
The Oliver No. L-12 was the original Latin American version of the Oliver No. 11. The No. L-12 and previous Latin American models manufactured in the United States were distributed by Compania Parker S.A., as mentioned on the rear plaque of the machine. This plaque also describes the No. L-12 as a silent model.Towards the end of production of the Oliver No. 11, the No. L-12 was replaced by the No. L-13 because the distributer changed from Compania Parker S.A. to Martinez y Rubio. The Oliver No. L-13 displays front and rear plaques just like the No. L-12, but now reflect the new distributor. The rear plaque no longer describes the machine as a silent model.
Fabrik Stolzenberg
Monopol-Stolzenberg Nos. 2 & 3
Unlike domestic Oliver No. 2 machines, the Monopol-Stolzenberg No. 2 machines distributed by Fabrik Stolzenberg were equipped with margin release keys. The Monopol-Stolzenberg name initially carried over from the No. 2 to the No. 3.
Stolzenberg Nos. 3 & 4
Eventually, the Monopol portion was dropped from the Monopol-Stolzenberg No. 3, resulting in a Stolzenberg No. 3. Fabrik Stolzenberg also distributed the Oliver No. 4 as the Stolzenberg No. 4. The style of the front decal is different from the Stolzenberg No. 3. This style was also used on Russian Oliver No. 4 machines.
A. Greger & Company
Courier
When the Oliver No. 5 was introduced in the United States, the type guards of Courier machines used the new Oliver No. 5 style. The olive green finish was then discontinued in favor of black. At this time, the Courier’s paper table decal was updated to display The Courier Typewriter as opposed to Courier. The ribbon reverse plaque also changed to the style of Oliver No. 5 machines. Finally, a backspacer was added to the Courier once it was introduced on the Oliver No. 5.
Jacobi
Courtesy Auction Team Breker
A variant of the Courier was produced for a German office equipment dealer in Munich under the name Jacobi, which was also the name of the sewing machine division of A. Greger & Company.
Jwic
A Czech variant of the Courier was produced as the Jwic.
Remodelled (RM) Olivers
RM Oliver No. 9
New serial numbers have an RM prefix on Remodelled No. 9 machines.
RM Oliver No. 10
New serial numbers have an RMR prefix on Remodelled No. 10 machines.
Four Bank Desktops
Four Bank Prototype
The first instance of a four-bank Oliver (an Oliver with four rows of keys) occurred in the early 1920s, when Theron Knapp, chief design engineer of The Oliver Typewriter Company, presented to the Oliver Board of Directors his new four-bank typewriter prototype. This machine was designed to resemble typewriters of other brands on the market at the time. It still featured the iconic Oliver typebars, but they were angled to swing towards the platen from the front instead of downward. Despite its novel design, the prototype never reached production, likely due to the Depression of 1921–22.
Oliver Four Bank
The first commercially available four-bank desktop Oliver was sold by British Oliver from 1931 to 1935. The Fortuna IV was rebranded and sold as the Oliver Four Bank, without any model number designation. Parts were manufactured by Fortuna Büromaschinen GmbH in Berlin, Germany, while the machines were assembled at the Oliver factory in Croydon, England.
Oliver No. 20
The Oliver Four Bank was replaced by the Oliver No. 20, a rebranded Halda-Norden No. 5, manufactured in Svängsta, Sweden. When the No. 20 was first introduced, it was sometimes advertised as an Oliver Four Bank without a model number. Early production Oliver No. 20 machines display The Oliver Four Bank in the iconic red Oliver circle, The British Oliver on the paper table, BRITISH MADE THROUGHOUT around the curve of the type basket, and OLIVER 20 on the frame below the keyboard. Late production Oliver No. 20 machines display BRITISH MADE around the curve of the type basket, OLIVER on the paper table, and No. 20 above the keyboard.
Oliver No. 21
The successor to the Oliver No. 20, a rebranded Halda-Norden No. 5, was the Halda No. 6, rebranded as the Oliver No. 21. It was manufactured at the Halda-Norden factory in Svängsta, Sweden. Initially, the Oliver No. 21 machines were black with a debossed model number above the keyboard. Late production Oliver No. 21 machines were produced in gray and have a plaque that displays Model 21.
Portables
Europa/SIM
In the early 1930s, manufacturing began for the first of many four-bank portable typewriters by Europa Schreibmaschinen AG and Fortuna Büromaschinen GmbH, both based in Berlin. In Italy, these machines were manufactured by Oliver Typewriter (Italy) Ltd. of Milan and Società Industriale Meccanica (SIM) of Turin. These machines were branded and marketed under a plethora of names, including Oliver.
Patria
From 1948 to 1954, the Oliver Portable was a rebranded Patria produced by August Birchmeier’s Söhne in Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Early iterations were only offered in black with ring-and-glass keys and an Oliver decal above the keyboard. The portable was updated with a cutout logo above they keyboard and a decal of Oliver Cromwell, a 17th century English political leader. The Oliver typewriter was often compared to Oliver Cromwell, exemplifying each as a successful Oliver of their respective eras. The ring-and-glass keys were soon changed to black composite keys. A gray color option was also introduced. In 1954, the Oliver Cromwell decal was no longer added.
Oliver Courier
The successor to the Oliver Portable (Patria), branded as the Oliver Courier from 1954 to 1959, was manufactured by August Birchmeier’s Söhne in Canton of Aargau, Switzerland. They originally produced this machine as the Swissa Piccola. In France, it was sold as the Byron, Japy P68, Japy Personelle, Patria, Typo, and Select. The French watch company Japy Freres & Cie manufactured this machine through a licensing agreement. Guillermo Trúniger, S.A. distributed this machine in Spain under the names Amaya, Florida, Königer, Patria, and Pulasatta, and exported it in small quantities. Voss sold this body style as the Privat in Western Germany.
Early production Oliver Courier machines, produced in black or gray with round, black keys, feature a recessed badge toward the right of the cover. The next iteration of Oliver Courier adorns an updated badge featuring an embossed script, while the last iteration of the Oliver Courier features a badge centered above the keyboard.
The Oliver Courier was sold in Canada by the T. Eaton Company as Eaton’s through department store. Another Canadian variant was sold by the Robert Simpson Company through Simpson's department stores. The Oliver Courier was also sold in the United States as the Tower by Sears, Roebuck, and Company. The Tower Collegian (branded as Collegian) is another Canadian variant distributed through Simpsons-Sears, a partnership formed by the Robert Simpson Company and the Sears, Roebuck and Company. Additional variants include Conqueror, Monitor, and Steelmaster.
Consort
The Oliver Consort, manufactured by Voss Schreibmaschinenfabrik GmbH in Wuppertal, West Germany, forms a family of rebranded Voss machines of two distinct body styles. Both body styles were marketed under the name Oliver Consort, but branded as MT 10, MDT 10, MT 13, or MDT 13, depending on tabulator and carriage combination.