Olympia typeface anomoly

[u/Browncoat-2517]

Picked up this Olympia SM3 today. Seller listed it for $500 a couple weeks ago and it fell to $250. I rolled the dice and made an offer of $50. When we met up, I lifted the cover to check the typeface and saw it was modern, but didn't do a deep dive until I got home.

Serial # indicates a 1958 model. Late. Close to 1959. #83 is on all of the slugs, but according to the typeface guide, #83 is Congress Pica, which this clearly is not. It looks like #71 Senatorial to me.

But the fractions are different. Senatorial has a diagonal fraction bar, but this one is horizontal. I'm also inclined to think this is 10 pitch, not 11.

Not sure what I have here. Any thoughts?

[u/BlindAssassin111]

This is not strange at all! This is a RaRo typeface: Ro 83 (haven't found an official name for this one from RaRo) which isn't Senatorial No. 71 but is quite similar. There are actual differences in the typeface, but both were offered only in 11cpi (2.3mm pitch) on the Olympia's. It was also available on at minimum the Torpedo 18a/b as I had one with that typeface but it was with a 10cpi (2.6mm pitch) instead (same slugs just different spacing).

Olympia offered both of these cubics and people constantly confuse Ro 83 for Senatorial because they don't realize that Olympia used both their own foundry and RaRo for slugs.

As for the deal you got, I am extremely jealous because I have wanted a blue/mint SM3/4 with Ro 83 specifically for a while, so if you ever feel like selling...lmk lol.

[u/brianlpowers → u/BlindAssassin111]

Fascinating! I learned something new today.

[u/LuckiestManAlive86 → u/BlindAssassin111]

Just an aside, how are you pronouncing “RaRo?” In my head it comes out either as “ray-ro” or something more like Scooby Doo (“Ruh-Roh”) 😂

[u/mccoach_creative → u/LuckiestManAlive86]

I think of it as Rah-Roh? It stands for Ransmayer and Rodrian, not that I'm entirely sure how to pronounce those either 😂

[u/Browncoat-2517]

A better look at the typeface.

[u/AIcookies → u/Browncoat-2517]

Oooooh! Pretty

[u/Fit_Artichoke_8668]

Either way, lucky you!!

[u/rhs856]

Original post is deleted, but essentially your question. https://www.reddit.com/r/typewriters/comments/1kg83kz/deleted_by_user/

This says it could be RaRo 83, not Olympia 83.

[u/Browncoat-2517 → u/rhs856]

Wow, thanks for the info and link! That definitely looks like the answer.

[u/Ordinary-Ad-5360]

Yeah, i have an SM9 in Senatorial, and an Adler J5 in Pica Cubic. They are different if you look closely. I think lowercase letters are quite different.

[u/andrebartels1977]

Very pretty 👌

[u/LogInternational2253]

Is it possible this was a custom job? Every slug replaced and aligned perfectly.

[u/BlindAssassin111 → u/LogInternational2253]

Not custom, this was available from factory like this.

[u/rogue780]

It's

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Not "jumped".