Just picked up this printing block.
Not even near my area of expertise, but it went pretty cheap and I kinda like the elaborated design.
Any info on this kind of item? date?

Style looks old but the block looks fairly new to me. Any ideas anybody?

Rob M.

I have owned a dozen or so mostly cigar related PB's. The block appears molded(?) making it nearly contemporary....
no guarantees whether written or implied...

that is a block used on sheet music, cigar boxes and i have 10 different baseball steel printers blocks with some that are on the home run cigar box i own. that also is the same one i have.

Completely forgot about this thread.

While doing some research I found out that this particular block was used for embossing.

The image on the block is a negative, meaning the image is recessed. For off-set printing with a standard printers block, the image is positive with raised details.

It would most likely be used for embossing a book cover or probably used for creating a raised graphic on a thick greeting or personal card.

As far as date goes, I've been told that it could have been made by the American Type Foundries from the 1890's (Which would fit the equipment shown on the block) to the 1920's and that some markings on the block show signs of heavy or prolonged use.