List Of

Plate Finishers

 

 

The links below are to charts showing which plate finisher’s initials appear on the Washington Franklin flat press printings (excluding coils).

 

 

1908 – 1909

331 - 347

 

1909

357 - 366

 

1910 – 1911

374 - 384

 

1912 – 1914

405 - 423

 

1913 - 1915

424 - 461

 

1916 – 1917

462 - 485

 

1917 – 1920

498 - 547

 

1919 – 1922

K1 – K17

 

 

 

The table below lists each plate finisher with the first plate worked on as a plate finisher and the final plate worked on as a plate finisher (several also worked as a siderographer).  The list includes all plates worked on from 1908 through 1928.

 

The first plate finisher to initial a plate was John Reding (JR) on plate #4959, followed by Jake S Seitz (JSS) on plate #4961.  The plates were certified on May 25, 1909 and May 24, 1909, respectively.

 

The last plate finishers to inscribe their initials on a plate were James Mark Butler (JMB) and George T Tyser (GTT) on plate #19646.  This final plate was certified on November 30, 1928, ending a 20 year tradition.

 

 

Initials

Plate Finisher

1st Plate

Final Plate

SPA

Samuel P Abbott

5062

16465

WRB

Unknown

14405

15285

WTB

Unknown

14389

14778

AAB

Aloysius A Baldus

5386

18237

HSB

Herman S Batch

5190

5233

WFB

William F Blue

16315

16315

FBB

Frank Brahler

13769

18026

WRB

William R Brown

5072

5772

CCB

Charles C Brumm

5277

5466

FB

Franklin Butler

8231

19144

JMB

James Mark Butler

5300

19646

JWB

Joseph W Butler

5038

18058

OB

Orville J Butler

5506

18085

ALC

Adam L Chapman

5061

14711

JAC

Joseph A Clark

5170

19568

HMC

Harold M Clarvoe

5510

6097

FNC

Fairfax N. Coackley

13757

18218

IBC

Irving B Cohen

8133

8881

WMD

Unknown

8302

8302

RD

Robert Dailey

5541

10249

Initials

Plate Finisher

1st Plate

Final Plate

GHD

George H Davis

5455

18927

CDeB

Clyde V. DeBinder

5104

14814

ED

Edward Doe

13869

16596

EME

Edwin M Earle

6109

17112

AEF

Albert E Fischer

8494

8504

JF

John B Fischer

13770

14808

JF

Joseph Forrester

13770

14808

WEF

William E Franke

5550

5550

CSG

Charles S Gay

5734

8396

JWG

James W Gessford

5409

19554

LSG

Leroy S Goldsworthy

13665

13655

EDG

Everett D Green

6712

7163

FAG

Frank A Green

13799

19401

JMH

John M Hackley

13850

19560

PEH

Phillip E Hardie

9471

9471

JFH

John F Hardy

8913

9439

EH

Edward Hein

5616

10462

EHH

Edward H Helmuth

5776

6524

CMH

Clinton M.  Hisle

5090

14752

GLH

George L Huber

16155

16155

Initials

Plate Finisher

1st Plate

Final Plate

GEJ

George E Jacobs

4973

7539

WJ

Walter Jahnke

14021

14021

TBJ

Thomas B Jones, Sr.

8301

19085

HK

Unknown

18096

18096

JWK

Unknown

5454

5454

WRK

William R Kern

13838

13838

JHK

James H Kates

5407

19001

ABK

Andrew B Kennedy

15516

19163

MJK

Michael J Kennedy

5422

7024

WK

William R Kern

7294

8012

SWL

Sidney W Lawrence

15830

19443

HCL

Herbert C Leach

8536

18186

AWL

Albert W Leger

12950

19526

JPL

Joseph P Lennon

13824

16893

RJL

Robert J Little

13798

19077

CFM

Charles F Malloy

5125

6045

WWM

William W Malone

5391

18576

LM

Luck Marks

8341

17359

FAM

Frank Alexander Martie

15571

16299

Initials

Plate Finisher

1st Plate

Final Plate

JJMacD

John J McDonald

14074

14162

JJMcD

John J McDonald

14235

19014

JMcF

Joseph McFate

6928

19469

TAMcG

Thomas A McGaffin

15855

18899

FAMcG

Felix A McGuire

5112

5635

DRMcL

Donald R McLeod

8509

8891

MM

Michael Morgan

5501

5505

JJM

James J Murray

5385

5385

LRM

Laurence R. Murray

13848

19556

ACN

Arthur C Noble

5073

6140

JEP

John E Posey

13992

17941

WTP

William T Powers

13795

16097

JR

John Reding

4959

16975

CHR

Charles H Roll

5059

19162

CIR

Clarence I Ronsaville

9168

9168

JCR

John C Rout

5037

6935

JES

John E Schaeffer

13980

18893

LBS

Leo B Schuyler

8168

17928

JSS

Jake S Seitz

4961

8424

ELS

Edwin L Shankle

13783

19551

Initials

Plate Finisher

1st Plate

Final Plate

EAS

Eugene A Smith

15750

19494

WES

Walter E Spring

5393

19620

GS

Gabriel Swart

8524

19418

ELT

Edward L Tucker

5298

5340

GTT

George T Tyser

6074

19646

FJV

Ferdinand J Voight

14433

15266

JMW

James M Walsh

5329

7973

WW

William Wapple

5766

8437

ECW

Edward C Wildt

14029

18667

HMW

Herbert M Williams

6389

6389

GW

Gus. Willie

6785

16406

HWW

Harry W Wolstenholme

5130

8388

RFW

Ralph F Wurtz

13864

19624

Initials

Plate Finisher

1st Plate

Final Plate

 

 

Color Key to Plate Finisher List:

Initials/Name: Click to see an example(s) on Washington Franklins.

Initials/Name: No example currently available in my collection.

Initials/Name: No Washington Franklin plates reported by this individual.

 

 

 

 

Information for this table was derived from the BIA Plate Number Checklist: Plates 1 – 20,000, as well as additional research.

 

 

Page Verified December 21, 2003

 

Copyright © 2003 Douglas S. D'Avino

 

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