An envelope of spare transparent punching templates designed for the IBM Port-a-Punch. These were distributed separately to allow users to replace worn templates which could become damaged by the stylus or scratched due to frequent use.
The envelope bears branding matching Port-A-Punch boxes of the era, and is simply labelled “Port-A-Punch Templates”. The envelope is made of thin cardboard with a flap on the top which is held closed with a string tie. On the rear of the envelope “©1958 International Business Machines Corporation” is printed on the top flap with “Printed in the U.S.A.” printed at the bottom. Inside the envelope are several transparent plastic templates identical to the one included with the Port-a-Punch. It is unknown how many templates were originally included in the envelope, but this example contains six remaining templates.
The envelope is slightly worn with discolouration varying throughout the printed surface. On the front are extensive black scuff marks, the number “418991” stamped in red ink and a small stain of green ink in the top right corner. On the rear is a small water stain and some corrosion to the metal components of the string tie.
