Hi Deborah,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The appeal of collecting antique and vintage typewriters is unusually broad because they sit at the intersection of industrial design, technology, typography, social history, and nostalgia. Unlike many technological antiques, they can also still be used exactly as intended.

Collectors also like the variety and collectors can specialize in early machines, office machines, portable machines, design, mechanisms, typography and even famous associations (in 2023, Heritage Auctions sold Steve Soboroff's collection of nearly 40 typewriters, including one owned by Ernest Hemingway https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/-the-world-s-greatest-typewriter-collection-serves-as-centerpiece-of-heritage-s-dec.-15-historical-platinum-event.s?releaseId=4848).

Royal was founded in January 1904 in Brooklyn, New York, by inventors Edward B. Hess and Lewis C. Myers. Their prototype incorporated several important mechanical innovations, including a ball-bearing carriage rail, improved paper feed, faster typebar action, and unusually good visibility of the typing area. Over the course of its nearly 100 year run, the company produced several models and designs.

The X is Royal's designation for the Royal Model 10, which was introduced in 1914 and was Royal's first major upright/frontstrike typewriter after its early flatbed machines. Royal itself describes it as the company's first upright design and says it was an immediate success.

Based on the serial number, I would date this typewriter to around 1926. It's worth noting that in 1926, the company announced that it had manufactured its one-millionth typewriter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Typewriter_Company). So, these are not particularly rare.

Other X models of similar vintage that have come to auction recently have brought prices ranging from $40 to $100 though for this model, I would narrow that range to $60-90. If you're looking to sell this typewriter, I would price it at between $150 and $200, so as to align yourself with comparable models that are currently being retailed or sold online.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

Royal X (Model 10), 1926
serial number X-836160
Height: 10-10-1/2 inches, width: 11 inches; depth: 14 inches
CONDITION: this appears to be in good condition
PROVENANCE: unknown
$60-90*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia