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copperplate script
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Copperplate script by John Ayres, 1683; in the collection of the Columbia University Libraries English round hand script edited by Philip Hofer and engraved by George Bickham; from The Universal Penman (1743). Elegant copperplate calligraphy spelling out Music resembles Poetry, with flowing, ornate script and decorative flourishes.
Quick Facts
Formally:
English round hand
Also called:
anglaise
Related Topics:
calligraphy
See all related content
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Copperplate script by John Ayres, 1683; in the collection of the Columbia University Libraries
Copperplate script by John Ayres, 1683; in the collection of the Columbia University Libraries

copperplate script

calligraphy
Also known as: English round hand, anglaise
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

copperplate script, in calligraphy, dominant style among 18th-century writing masters, whose copybooks were splendidly printed from models engraved on copper. The alphabet was fundamentally uncomplicated, but the basic strokes were often concealed in luxuriant flourishing and dazzling professional displays of “command of hand.” Hence, the 19th-century term copperplate hand usually connotes calligraphic showiness and sleekness.