An early iron hand-press at the University of Coimbra, possibly built by Wilhelm Haas the younger of Basel

Abstract

Introduction In 2016, Robert Oldham learned about and examined – in the company of António Eugenio Maia do Amaral, Deputy Director of the Biblioteca Geral at the University of Coimbra, Portugal – a mysterious and apparently unique iron hand-press, on a wooden base, held at that time by the Biblioteca Joanina at the University. He was immediately struck by its resemblance to what is generelly held to be the first iron hand-press, invented in Basel, Switzerland, in 1772 by the noted typefounder Wilhelm Haas the elder (1741–1800).