• Item owner - FNM

• Category - FNM Collection

• Inventory - 0465

• Author - Mako Apparatebau

• Dimensions - 37x15x30 cm

• Dating - first half of the century

Arm-shaped body anchored leaning slightly forward onto a larger oval-shaped base, with 2 holes at its front and back ends for anchorage onto the supporting surface. Hinged onto the upper end of the arm is another arm, vertically oscillating, with a small compartment containing a metal movable-type date stamp. A small slot on the front of the arm level with the date stamp allows an Edmonson card ticket to be introduced. On the back of the oscillating vertical arm is a lever for removing the date stamp and a horizontal arm with a curved end, inserted into the hollow body of the fixed main arm, serving as a limit switch for the oscillating arm.

The date stamp dry embosses a date on an Edmonson card railway ticket.

The station ticket agent changed the date on the date stamp with a little awl every morning. The agent then took the appropriate type of ticket for a passenger from the file box, inserted it in the opening in the oscillating arm and pushed it sharply to lower the date stamp onto the ticket and stamp it with the issue date.
Use of this type of station date stamp, also referred to as a “torchietto”, or little press, was correlated with use of Edmonson card railway tickets. This one was in use from the second half of the nineteenth century until 1990, when this type of ticket was replaced with paper tickets created and customised directly in the station.