Obverse of a 1779 $40 note. “Forty Dollars” at the top is in Union Pearl, and “DOLLARS” at the bottom is in English Scriptorial No. 1.

From 1775 to 1779, the Continental Congress issued almost 200 million dollars of Continental currency in order to finance the Revolutionary War. The banknotes were printed by Hall & Sellers in Philadelphia – formerly B. Franklin & D. Hall, the printing business founded by Benjamin Franklin.

The notes were printed using William Caslon’s types, alongside three of the Grover foundry’s typefaces, dating from the turn of the century: Double Pica Union Pearl, Pica Scriptorial, and English Scriptorial No. 1.

The Scriptorials are also referred to as Cursorials. The same three fonts are shown together in a specimen published by Benjamin Franklin Bache, Benjamin Franklin’s grandson.

Obverse of a 1778 $20 note. “Twenty Dollars” is in Union Pearl (except for the D), and the italic text (including “DOLLARS” at the bottom right) is in Pica Scriptorial.

Reverse of a 1775 $5 note. “PHILADELPHIA” is in English Scriptorial No. 1.

Reverse of a 1775 $7 note. “HALL and SELLERS” is in English Scriptorial No. 1.

A specimen of English Scriptorial No. 1, from the 1782 auction catalogue of the John James foundry. John James had bought the Grover foundry in 1758.

A specimen of Pica Scriptorial, from the same source

An advertisement promoting the use of Grover’s Scriptorials for legal documents, published in The Observator, February 11–7 [sic], 1708. The word “Scriptographia” is in Union Pearl, and the majority of the rest of the text is in Pica Scriptorial.

This two-page ad for the Wilbar Photo Engraving Company was published in the first issue of Esquire magazine in October 1933.

The text uses three imported fonts: the Spanish Fulgor (sold in the US under the name “Gloria”), and the German Lucian and Quick (“Trafton Script”). The company’s address is in Lucian, except that the numerals are borrowed from Goudy Oldstyle. The small text underneath the photos is in ATF Garamond Italic.

Front cover

You’ve Got to Believe in Something is the third album by the American rock band Spin Doctors. Art direction and design are credited to Chika Azuma. The cover photo is by Richard Samuel Roberts.

On the front cover, the band’s name uses OPTI Grant Rustic, Castcraft’s digitization of Grant No. 2. The c has been modified, presumably because the original looked too much like a G, and the final s is a reversed capital S. The album title uses all-caps Antique No. 14.

The text on the back cover and disc label is mainly hand-written, but some legal text and serial numbers have been added using FF Justlefthand.

[More info on Discogs]

Back cover

Disc

Logo

Psyko Ferret was an unsuccessful pilot for a potential Nickelodeon TV series, produced by Klasky Csupo in 2000. Suburban was used for the Psyko Ferret logo, as well as both the opening and end credits.

Opening credits

Opening credits

Opening credits

End credits

Opening credits

From Wikipedia:

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is an American animated television series developed by Klasky Csupo for Nickelodeon. [...] The show focuses on three young monsters—Oblina, Ickis, and Krumm—who attend a school for monsters under a city dump and learn how to frighten humans. Many of the episodes revolve around their zany hijinks after making it to the surface in order to perform "scares" as class assignments. The series premiered on October 29, 1994, and aired until November 16, 1997.

The titles and credits use Snort, a custom font designed for the show by László Nosek. Snort was also used on merchandise, and was made available to the public in 1999 as part of the Nick-O-Matic Design Factory art software.

Episode title card

End credits

Toys with packaging featuring text in Snort

Back, showing text in Mister Frisky and Uncle Stinky (now known as Professor Minty) as well as Helvetica Condensed

Cover of the book Stage Fright! (Simon & Schuster, 1997), using Snort for the title; other text is in Woody Normal and Avenir Black.

Temporary tattoos included with Stage Fright!, some of which also use Snort.

Abilene FLF

The second season of Batman: The Animated Series (or The Adventures of Batman & Robin, as it was temporarily known) differs from the first season both in only consisting 20 episodes (versus the first season’s 65), and in using digital fonts (where the first season used dry transfer lettering).

Times Bold

Times New Roman Bold (compare the counter of the R in “Trial” to that of the one in “A Bullet for Bullock” above)

Flambard (or Studio?), heavily squeezed

Murray Hill

Unidentified

Abilene FLF

Times Bold

Chevalier

Univers 49

Filmotype Hudson

Chevalier

Ticonderoga

Plakette

ITC Ronda

Florentine

Stencil

Ad Lib

Helvetica

Premier Lightline

Erotica 74 is an adult book by Lawrence Mosley, published in 1974 by Bee-Line Books.

The title uses Green Buzzard B. The tagline and author’s name use Gill Sans Extra Bold. The publisher name, serial number and price use News Gothic.

The Muppet Show Book was published in 1978 by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. The book adapts material from the first two seasons of The Muppet Show, with illustrations by Tudor Banus.

The main text font used throughout the book is ITC Souvenir. The characters’ names and initials are each set in a unique font, see the image captions for details. A few minor characters’ names are in ITC Souvenir.

“Introduction” is in the roman style of Bookman Swash. The character-specific fonts are Art Gothic for Kermit the Frog; Sweetheart for Miss Piggy; Yagi Link Double for Sgt. Floyd Pepper; Benguiat Laurent (with Psychemat effect) for Dr. Teeth [edit: rather Bullseye, a copy of PLINC Capricorn, see comments]; ITC Neon for Zoot; Crayonette for Janice; and Shatter for Animal.

Second page of the introduction, ft. Interline for Statler & Waldorf (without the pattern fill in Statler’s case); Scorpio/Hoopla for Fozzie Bear; and Burst Caps for Crazy Harry. The sound effects (“BANG”, “HA HA HA …”) are in caps from Caslon No. 471/540 or similar.

ITC Bookman Demi with swash caps

“THE NEW GO-FER” is in Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed.

An outline version of Cooper Black is used for Scooter and Hobo for George the Janitor.

Reward poster for Kid Fozzie, ft. Figaro

The typeface chosen for Rowlf is Reklameschrift Secession.

Moore Computer features for Kermit’s robot doppelgänger.

“GONZO THE GREAT” uses more of the aforementioned Caslon caps. The character font is Lydia.

Sam the Eagle is presented in a chromatic setting of Stripes Caps.

Cloud Bank for Dr. Julius Strangepork and Countdown for Captain Link Hogthrob

The initial I is from Thunderbird.

The initial S is unidentified.

Microgramma Condensed is used for Nigel

The formal script used for “The Lives and Loves of Gonzo the Great” is Typo Script Extended.

Round Rosie is the font used for Vincent Price’s initials … 

… and Smoke is the one chosen for Uncle Deadly.

Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is set in Gemini.

Filmotype Pixie was spec’d for Hilda.

Another Bookman Swash

Manuscript Capitals for “Bein’ Green”

The P from Mira identifies Koozebanian Phoob.

Chianti is used for Robin.

Kermit the Pig is in an unidentified font similar to Rubens and Duerer.

Playbill is used for J.P. Grosse. On this page, the o’s in Scooter’s name are altered to look like his glasses.

A full-page ad from the November 1990 issue of Play Meter. An almost identical ad also appeared in the January 1991 issue.

These magazine ads for Eastern Gaming Tech’s slot machines were published in the trade magazine Play Meter, beginning in 1990.

In all the ads, the text “Token dispensing slots” combines Banco and Sinaloa, while the rest of the text is in Max.

A full-page ad from the April 1991 issue of Play Meter. The same ad also appeared in the September 1991 issue.

A quarter-page ad from the November 1993 issue of Play Meter.

The New Mystery is an anthology of short stories by 42 different writers, edited by Jerome Charyn and published in 1993 by Penguin Books under the Dutton imprint. The jacket was designed by Dean Motter, with illustrations by Vidal Centeno.

The title is primarily in stretched Arcadia, although the N, W and M appear to be derived from Washington. Futura, also stretched, is used for “New and Classic Stories by” and “The International Association of Crime Writers [...]”, and Senator is used for “and 30 other major crime writers” and the editor’s credit. The authors’ names are in Industria.

Front cover, with photography by Ross Kirton

From Wikipedia:

Supernature is the third studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 17 August 2005 by Mute Records. The album received generally favourable reviews, with most critics complimenting its blend of pop and electronic music. It debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 52,976 copies, and has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Supernature has sold one million copies worldwide.

The design is credited to Mat Maitland at Big Active, with art direction by Alison Goldfrapp, Mat Maitland, and Gerard Saint.

Matra is used for the album title and track listing, while all other text is in ITC Avant Garde Gothic. The Goldfrapp logo appears to be custom drawn.

[More info at Discogs]

Back cover

Lyrics and credits

Postcard (front)

Postcard (back)

Certificates like this one were issued by the Chinese consulate-general in San Francisco to show that the holder was exempt from the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese laborers from entering the United States. The Chinese exclusion policy remained in effect until it was lifted in 1943.

The heading combines a Celtic with Ronaldson (also used for the word “SEAL” at the bottom left), and the following paragraph combines Title Text Open No. 3 with Spencerian Script. The word “DESCRIPTION” is in Old Style Extended, while the labels for each item are in a Modern/Scotch. The italic at the bottom is in a style that was presented by MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan as a companion to Ronaldson (Old Style, No. 4) as well as to Bradford Old Style (Old Style, No. 2) and Binny (Old Style, No. 3). The Chinese signatures aren’t typographic.

Teaser poster

From Wikipedia:

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a 1985 drama film directed by Héctor Babenco from a screenplay by Leonard Schrader, based on the 1976 novel by Argentine author Manuel Puig. [...] Set in a Brazilian prison during the military dictatorship, the film centers on a dialogue between two very different cellmates, a hardened leftist revolutionary (Julia) and an apolitical gay man (Hurt). The story utilizes metafictional and film-within-a-film elements, as the latter regales the former with retellings of an old movie, whose themes mirror those of the characters.

The poster artwork is by Richard Mahon.

The primary font on both posters is Newport, with a modified K in “KISS”. On the main poster, Erbar Bold Condensed is used for the associate producers’ credits.

Main poster

Cover of issue 1. Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed is used for the cover text.

Mermaid was an American adult magazine first published in 1962 by Geemil Publications (not be confused with another adult magazine also called Mermaid, published from 1958 by Garden of Eve Publications).

The Mermaid logo uses all-caps Filmotype Party.

Cover of issue 2. Franklin Gothic Extra Condensed is again used for the cover text.

Cover of issue 3. The text immediately below the logo as well as the words “ADULTS ONLY” are in Futura Condensed. Other text is in Ludlow Condensed Gothic (Modernized).

Cover of issue 4. The text immediately below the logo is again in Futura Condensed [edit: or rather Tempo Heavy Condensed, see comments], while the other text is in Bodoni Campanile.

Magik is a Marvel Comics character who first appeared in 1975. The current Magik logo seems to have been first used for the comic book Mystic Arcana: Magik #1 in 2007, and continues to be used for the 2025 Magik comic book series.

The logo uses Morpheus, except for the G, which is from Meath FLF. A sword has been added over the M, and the dot of the i has been omitted.

Mystic Arcana: Magik #1 (August 2007)

Magik #2 (April 2025)

This two-page advertisement for Jose Cuervo tequila was published in the March 1995 issue of The Face magazine.

The text “drink Cuervo Gold today” combines Fobia with the Little Creatures variant of FF Priska Serif. On the second page, the text “Because tomorrow..?” is in a version of Courier.

The words “Gold Tequila” and the small legal text on the first page use the normal style of FF Priska Serif.

Door to Door Orgy! is an adult novel by Cliff Jones, published in 1974 by Bee-Line Books.

Calypso is used for both the title and the author’s name. The tagline uses Helvetica. The text in the corner is in News Gothic.

This ad for Palmolive soap was published in the February 1928 issue of Photoplay magazine.

The tagline “Soap From Trees” is in Goudy Open. “Nature’s Gift to Beauty” is in ATF Garamond Italic, using the alternate swash N. Goudy Oldstyle is used for the body text. The subheadings use Cloister Italic.

ATF Garamond is also used for “Palmolive Radio Hour” and the following paragraph. The small text at the bottom right is in Goudy Italic.

Ragtime

From Paul Dini & Chip Kidd’s Batman Animated (1998):

These imaginatively rendered title cards were a high point of each Batman episode. While some (like “Harley’s Holiday” and “Time out of Joint”) were character portraits, most often the cards depicted an emotional impression of the given episode’s theme. According to Eric Radomski, who designed many of the cards, “Going with the overall retro-forties feel we were giving the show, we wanted to treat the episodes as mini-movies. The title cards allowed us to create great drama in a very subtle fashion. It was a process of trying to capture what the overall episode was, and not just show a scene or moment from it.”

Most of the title cards of Batman: The Animated Series’ first season (which first aired in 1992–1993) use fonts that were available from Letraset.

See also the post on the series’ logos.

Engravers Old English

Pendry Script

Rundfunk

Commercial Script and Compacta Italic

Pendry Script

Cable (Kabel) Light

Univers 49

Brody

Univers 49

Peignot Medium

Alpin Gothic

Plaza

Pendry Script and Compacta

Windsor Bold Outline

Compacta

Plaza

Peignot Medium

Brush Script

Microgramma Medium Extended

Mistral

Compacta Bold Outline

Univers 49

Goudy Handtooled

Mistral

ITC Benguiat

Brody

Univers 49

Plaza and Univers 49

Mistral

Laser

Univers 49

Stencil Bold

Univers 49

Univers 49

Papyrus

Berling Bold

Mistral

Mistral

Ragtime

Berling Bold

LCD Outline

Cloister Bold

Shatter

Helvetica Extra Light and Medium

Goudy Extra Bold

Freestyle Script and Flash

Plaza Inline

City Medium

Murray Hill Bold

Plaza and Univers 49

Ragtime

Tarragon

Compacta Outline

Titus Medium

Augustea Open

Cortez

Front cover

The Silken Underground is a lesbian novel written by Vicki Spain and published in 1965 by Lancer Books under the Domino imprint.

The title uses Staudel Xenotype J. The tagline on the back cover uses Franklin Gothic Condensed. The rest of the text is in News Gothic Condensed.

Back cover