Machine Details
Smith Corona
5S (Silent)
1952 (Groton, New York)
5S331515
Available for Acquisition
Pica, 10cpi
Segment
QWERTY
Portable
Manual Electric
10"
13.5 × 12.5 × 5.5"
≈13.4 lbs.
Yes
Machine Description
This is the Silent, the mid-tier machine in Smith Corona’s 5-Series lineup. The series ran from entry-level Clipper up through Sterling, Silent, Super, and the top-spec Silent-Super. All of them share the same frontstrike typebar arrangement, four-row keyboard, and basket-shift mechanism; what changes between models is the feature set, not the core mechanics.
Don’t let the name fool you. “Silent” was a model name, not a performance claim; it types at the same volume as any other manual portable from the era.
You can date a 5S by its serial number. Mine falls in the range Smith Corona produced between December 1952 and December 1953, which puts it right at the start of a production run that would define the company’s portable line through the decade.
Highlights:
- Floating shift for even key pressure across the keyboard
- Basket-shift design, lighter touch than the carriage-shift machines that came before it
- Three-roller paper bail plus two adjustable paper fingers, a small but useful upgrade for holding index cards and odd paper sizes steady
- Crinkle-paint finish over steel, built to take decades of desk use
- Comes housed in the original cloth-covered carrying case, a lighter alternative to the molded hard cases that came later
Smith Corona built the 5-Series to compete in the postwar portable boom, when returning GIs and a growing student population drove demand for compact, durable machines for home and travel. The line is widely regarded as some of the best made and most user-friendly typewriters of the era, and the engineering holds up. Parts are common, the mechanism is simple to service, and replacement ribbons are easy to find since the 5S takes a standard universal spool.
If you’re looking to start typewriter collecting, a 5S is a smart entry point. It’s affordable, it’s everywhere on the secondhand market, and it types as well today as it did in 1952.
Serial Number Location:
Under ribbon cover, stamped on to the left side of the frame. Serial Number Location Image
Features
- Ribbon Selector Bichrome + Stencil
- Margin Release
- Touch Selector
- Paper Support
- End-of-Page Indicator
Condition Report
Some light discoloration on the front lower right, a drip streak on the left side of the body
Responsive & quick. Some type arms could use a light cleaning to improve action.
Has some uneven wear & indentations from years of receiving type. Doesn't significantly impact the printed text, but is of note.
Nicely sharp characters on printed page.
Lowercase letters are a touch higher than they should be.
Works as it should but sounds a bit muted.
Present & soft.
Case Condition Notes
Bit of scuffing, deep scratches. Generally good condition for age & a solid construction.
Provenance
Secondary A
Estimated to have been acquired some time between the late 1990s and early 2000s. In the Hanttula Collection since that time.
Related Resources
- Smith Corona 5-Series (via The Antikey Chop)
- 1953 Smith-Corona Silent Typewriter (via Chris Aldrich)
- 1952 Smith-Corona Silent (5S Series) Listing (via Typewriters 101)
Type Specimen
