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Early Office Museum

Antique Check Canceling Machines

A 1915 B. F. Cummins Co. ad stated that "Perforating no longer means 'Check Protecting.'  It means a new and better way to Date, Number, Mark--10 or more at once.  Think of it in connection with the following: Dating incoming mail, numbering orders, marking orders or invoices 'Entered' with date. Cancelling and receipting checks, notes, statements, bills.  Everything which requires a permanent, unchangeable marking." 

Advertising Image	Name, Years of Patents and Observed Ads, Manufacturer	Image
	Victor Paper Fastener and Check Canceller Patented 1879-82 ~ Advertised 1883-84 A. A. Weeks New York, NY Device is a paper fastener at one end and a check canceller at the other.
	Check Canceling File Advertised 1881-1930 US	.
Security Library Perforator, Cancelling Machine No. 15, advertised c. 1899-1928.  18 lb. $25 in 1928. No. 2 No. 3 Cancellor	Cummins Cancelling Perforator (a.k.a. Cancelling Machine, Perforating Machine, Dating Canceler ) Patented 1889-92 ~ Advertised c. 1899-1930 B. F. Cummins Co. Chicago, IL The company produced many models.  Typically, perforates checks with the word PAID and the date (MM:DD:YY). 1906 ad for the Cummins No. 12 Dating Canceler, which was similar to the No. 2 pictured to the right, stated "Cancels and dates ten checks of average thickness each stroke."  The No. 12, which weighed 26 lb., was $67.50 in 1928. In 1915, a B. F. Cummins ad claimed the company had been specialists in perforating machines for 28 years, that is, since 1887.	No. 16 No. 35 Check Perforator No. 37
	Abbott Cancelling Machine Introduced 1893 ~ Advertised 1893 Abbott Machine Co. Chicago, IL "Weight 100 lbs. It perforates 25 to 30 thicknesses of paper at one time."	.
	Century Check Canceller 1894 Century Cancelling Machine Co. Philadelphia, PA	.
.	BBT Check Canceller This perforates checks with small holes that spell the word "PAID"
.	American Perforator Top machine: Advertised 1914 Bottom machine: Patented 1915 American Perforator Co. Chicago, IL Top machine perforates checks with the word PAID  and the date. Top photograph courtesy of Larry Wilhelm The company produced many models.

Examples of Perforated Check Cancellations
1879	PAID spelled out in perforations inside a perforated circle, seen on this 1879 check.
1895	PAID spelled out in perforations, seen on checks dated from 1895 onward.
1909	PAID plus the date spelled out in perforations, seen on checks dated from 1905 onward.

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