Cummings check perforator.

The picture below, illustrates a widely used and popular American check perforator by the B. F. Cummings & Co. brand. from Chicago.

The picture above shows my recently acquired check perforator of the same type as in the advertisement from 1890, however, a few extra dates for the patent according to the advertisement have been added (see below). Therefore, I conclude that mine must be a few years younger, namely after 1892.

You set the character you want perforated by turning the handle and pushing it to the bottom (see below). Once a character was perforated, the check was automatically advanced to a new position and another character could be perforated.

The following 12 characters could be perforated.
Now, the keen eye of several readers will see that the first character (#) is similar to the FIG 01 registered in the Catalog of Danish Company Perforations.
It turns out that they are 100% identical and the catalog committee has chosen to note that the very few stamps found with Fig 01 are perforated with a corresponding check perforator from B F. Commings & Co. Which company, if any? have used such a perforator to perhaps both cancel checks and secure their postage stamps, is constantly in the uncertain.

The perforator will be available for inspection at this year’s general assembly and proofs can be obtained on the same occasion.