Circa 1955 Smith Corona Silent Super Vintage Manual Typewriter with Holiday Case
Circa 1955 Smith Corona Silent Super Vintage Manual Typewriter with Holiday Case
Welcome to one of history’s finest typewriters, lovingly restored for your writing pleasure.
Order now. In about 2 weeks, you’ll get a stunning, authentic, lovingly-restored specimen of this model in the condition selected.
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These beauties were born in the late 50’s, growing out of the earlier neutral colored ‘Super-5-’ body. The main distinguishing factor being the addition of a few features and color options:
What Made It "Super"
The Silent-Super sat at the top of the portable hierarchy with 88 keys (vs. 84 on the Sterling and Clipper). Its premium features included:
Tab Set and Tab Clear keys on the keyboard (earlier models required manually moving stops at the back)
Adjustable paper fingers
Interchangeable platen with a release latch
Reportedly a softer platen compound for quieter operation (though this has largely hardened with age)
The dedicated "1/!" and "+/=" keys that lesser models lacked (on earlier typewriters you use a lower case L to type a ‘1’)
Color Explosion (1957–1959)
Around 1957–58, Smith Corona started offering the Silent-Super in colors beyond brown: Alpine Blue, Seafoam Green, Coral Pink, Desert Sand — with white keys instead of green. These colored models are particularly sought after by collectors today.
End of the Line (1959+)
The Super-5 body was officially discontinued around 1959 with the introduction of the boxy Sterling 5ax styling.
The PINK has moved to a separate listing here.
The Ironic Truth About "Silent"
As many owners will tell you, the name is marketing fiction — these machines are about as loud as any other typewriter. The original 1930s Silent models did have some soundproofing (though still not ‘silent’ by any means), but by the Super-5 era, the name was mostly legacy branding
Syracuse, New York — that was Smith Corona's home base. The Super-5 Silent-Supers from the 1950s are genuine American-made machines, which is part of why collectors and writers prize them. The build quality from that Syracuse factory during the postwar years is considered the pinnacle of Smith Corona craftsmanship.
(I’m using a green Silent Super right now as my main daily driver).
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Years: 1957–1959
Features:
1,2,3 line spacing.
Recognizable typeface, (12 or 10 characters per inch) : 10 or 12 point font. PICA or Elite.
Classic ‘typewritten’ manuscript look.
Clear ringing end of line bell.
Right and left margin settings.
Tab set and clear keys.
Updated Holiday Case in beautiful shape. (though the brown and green often come in original tweed case).
Purchase with an easy heart; This includes our guarantee and lifetime trade in policy... details below…
We restore beautiful machines and put them in the hands of writers, poets, and dreamers.
When the inspiration strikes, be ready!™
If you have questions please don’t hesitate to ask!
I want you writing, Screenless!
Most sincerely,
Steven Budden Jr.
Classic Typewriter Co.
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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