Title: Can anyone help identify this Royal / Regal typewriter? Listed as a 1939 Royal Aristocrat, but marked HY-39.
Hi everyone,
I recently picked up this beautiful black Royal-family portable typewriter and would love help identifying it more accurately.
The seller listed it as a 1939 Royal Aristocrat, but after looking more closely, I noticed a Regal Precision Rebuilt label/plate and the marking:
HY-39 100566
The machine types beautifully and appears to have been kept in one family for decades. I’m trying to understand whether this would properly be described as:
- a Royal Aristocrat,
- a Regal Royal,
- a Royal Model HY,
- a Regal Precision rebuilt Royal,
- or something else entirely.
I’m especially curious about what HY-39 signifies, whether Regal rebuilt machines from earlier Royal models, and whether this could have originally been an Aristocrat before being rebuilt/rebadged.
I’m not looking to resell it — I just want to document its history accurately and preserve the story of the machine. Any insight from Royal or Regal collectors would be greatly appreciated.
Photos attached. Thank you!