Legal Definitions - typographum

Typographum is a historical legal term that refers to a document or text produced using mechanical printing, specifically by impressing characters from movable type onto a surface. This term was used to distinguish such printed materials from those that were chirographum, meaning they were written entirely by hand.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: A Printed Statute Book

  Imagine a collection of newly enacted laws published in 17th-century England. Instead of relying on scribes to manually copy each law for distribution to various courts and officials, the government would commission a printer to produce multiple copies using a printing press. Each page of this printed statute book, with its text mechanically impressed from metal type, would be considered a typographum. This method ensured consistency and allowed for much wider dissemination compared to handwritten versions.

• Example 2: A Pre-Printed Legal Form

  Consider a standard property deed or a will from the late 18th century. While the specific details, names, and signatures would still be handwritten by a lawyer or the parties involved, the main body of the document—containing common legal clauses, boilerplate language, and formatting—might have been pre-printed. This pre-printed portion, created by a printing press, would be classified as a typographum, serving as a foundational template upon which unique handwritten information was added.

• Example 3: A Public Proclamation of Judgment

  In a historical court setting, after a significant trial, a formal proclamation summarizing the court's judgment or a royal decree might need to be publicly displayed or widely distributed. If this document was produced by a printing press, allowing for numerous identical copies to be posted in town squares or sent to local magistrates, it would be a typographum. This contrasts with a single, handwritten copy that might have been prepared for the court's internal records, which would be a chirographum.