Written by Acorn Sales Company, manufacturing stamps and seals since 1964 · Reviewed by Holly R, VP of Sales and Marketing at Acorn Sales, against Acorn Sales product catalog, date-stamps range on 21 September 2026 · Updated 21 September 2026
Acorn publishes 202 date stamps, numbering machines and line number stamps, and the first number to check is the year band, because our catalog does not carry one figure. Our Trodat and Shiny self-inking daters state up to 12 years; our Trodat die-plate daters state up to twelve years in the description and a minimum of 10 years in their own highlight list; the Just Rite line date stamps state approximately 7 years; the Regular and Self Inking Approved and Drawing Complete daters state year bands valid for 7 years; and the Shiny NTbac and Shiny Specialty die-plate daters state up to 6 years on the bands. Read the band figure on the product you are buying, not a house average.What these are for
These are the tools a back office uses to prove when and in what order something happened. A dater puts the date on an invoice, a deposit slip, a bid envelope, a chart or a received carton. A numbering machine advances a metal wheel set so every page of a document set carries its own consecutive number. A line number stamp is a hand-set band stamp for job numbers, lot codes and part numbers that you change by hand rather than by mechanism. The buyers named on our pages are accounting and accounts payable departments, bank tellers, legal and records offices, shipping and receiving desks, bid and contract administrators, and industrial plants coding parts and cartons. Three tools with three different price curves: our daters run $10.95 to $199.95, our line number stamps $10.95 to $192.50, and our Reiner numbering machines $89.95 to $1,729.95.
The ranges we stock
Self-inking dater with a built-in pad, $34.95 to $199.95
The everyday office dater. The pad lives inside the stamp, the die flips onto it between presses, and you set the date by turning the bands. The Trodat 5440 Heavy Duty Date Stamp 1-1/8 x 2 is $72.95 with up to 12 years of dates and room for 3 lines above and 3 below; the Trodat 4750 Date Stamp 1 x 1-5/8 is $49.95; the Trodat 46119 Date Stamp 3/4 Diameter is $34.95. Shiny’s Heavy Metal line is the same idea in a recycled PET and metal body: the Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 15/16 x 1-5/8 is $72.95, the Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 2-1/2 x 4-1/2 is $199.95. These pages offer 11 ink colors and a two-color option with blue text and red dates.
Traditional die-plate dater that needs a separate pad, $34.95 to $79.95
Same rotating date bands, no pad inside. You buy the pad separately and you choose its ink, which is the whole reason to pick one: special inks, a color you keep changing, or a lower price. The Trodat 4000-B Die Plate Date Stamp 1-1/2 x 2, the Trodat 4000-R Die Plate Date Stamp 2 Inch Diameter and every Trodat 2910-P die plate from the 2910-P01 to the 2910-P10 are $44.95 and each page says plainly that it will require the use of a stamp pad. The Trodat 3525, 3550, 3350, 3450 and the 1113 Local Style daters are $34.95. On the Shiny side, the Shiny Die Plate Dater 1-1/2 x 2-3/16 is $49.95 and the Shiny Specialty Die Plate daters, such as the Dates Top 1-3/8 x 2-1/8, are $68.95. The Shiny die-plate pages are the ones that state 6 years on the bands plus the extra phrases REC’D, ANS’D, ENT’D, PAID, P.M. and A.M.
Stock phrase dater, $39.95 to $59.95
A dater with the wording already cut into the die, so there is nothing to customize and nothing to proof. Our SD300 series is $59.95 each at 1-3/16″ x 1-13/16″, self-inking, in 11 ink colors or blue text with red dates: Stock Entered, Stock Paid, Stock Approved, Stock Received, Stock Faxed, Stock Sent and Stock Cancelled, each showing its phrase above the date and By: ____ below it. Alongside them sit two phrase daters at 1-1/8″ x 2-3/8″ with 7-year bands: the Self Inking Approved Date Stamp and the Self Inking Drawing Complete Date Stamp at $59.95, and their pad-required twins, the Regular Approved Date Stamp and the Regular Drawing Complete Date Stamp, at $39.95.
Just Rite line date stamp, $10.95 to $199.95
The oldest design we sell and the cheapest way into date stamping. Deep molded natural rubber bands on a steel-plated frame with a handle. Every one of these pages states approximately 7 years of dates and the extra words REC’D, PAID and FAXED. The Regular style needs a separate pad and runs by character height: Line Date Stamp Size 1/16 Characters $10.95, 5/32 Characters $13.95, 3/16 Characters $18.95, up to Size 3/4 Characters at $199.95. The Self Inking versions carry their own pad: Self Inking Date Stamp 1/8 Characters $48.95, 3/16 Characters $58.95, 9/32 Characters $148.95, 3/8 Characters $169.95.
Numbering machine with a metal die, $89.95 to $1,729.95 (Reiner from $129.95)
Not a dater and not a rubber stamp. A numbering machine is a geared steel mechanism holding a set of alloy figure wheels that advance themselves each time you press. Our range runs from 6 to 15 wheels. The Trodat Metal Economy Sequential Number Stamp is $89.95, 6 wheels, 3/16″ Roman. The Economy Sequential Numbering Stamp Model B-600 is $129.95, 6 wheels; the Economy Automatic Numbering Stamp Machine Model B6-534 is $179.95. Mid-range: the 6 Wheel Number Stamping Machine Model 317 at $329.95, the 9 Wheel Numbering Machine Model 323 at $689.95, the 10 Wheel Heavy Duty Automatic Numbering Stamp Model 325 at $749.95. Top of the range: the Wide Frame Numbering Machine Model 332, 15 wheels, at $1,349.95, and the Book and Page Numbering Stamp Left Print at $1,729.95.
Line number band stamp, $10.95 to $192.50
A hand-set numberer. You turn each band yourself with a stylus or by hand; nothing advances on its own. Just Rite’s Regular Line Number Stamps are the budget end and require an additional ink pad: 1/16 Character Size $10.95, 1/8 and 3/16 Character Size $12.95, 1/2 Character Size $62.95, 3/4 Character Size $154.00. Special Assembly versions, where the bands can be 0-9, A-M or N-Z in any position, run $30.95 to $192.50. Shiny’s Heavy Duty Numberers are the self-inking industrial version with a built-in pad and 11 ink colors: the 6 Wheel Shiny Heavy Duty Number Stamp 3/16 Characters is $54.95, the 18 Wheel Shiny Heavy Duty Self Inking Number Stamp 5/32 Characters is $72.95, and the versions with a die plate for a line of text above and below the bands run $72.95 to $132.00.
Sizes and dimensions
Our daters are sold by impression area and the pages give it as an approximate maximum. Smallest first: the Trodat 4850 Date Stamp is 3/16″ x 1″, the Trodat 4813 is 3/8″ x 1″, the Trodat 1113-3110 Local Style gives a text plate of 5/16″ x 3/8″ and the Trodat 46119 is 3/4″ diameter. Mid-size office daters: the Trodat 5430 at 1″ x 1-5/8″, the Trodat 4729 at 1-3/16″ x 2″, the Trodat 5440 at 1-1/8″ x 2″, the Trodat 4724 at 1-5/8″ x 1-5/8″, the Trodat 5460 at 1-5/16″ x 2-1/4″ and the Trodat 5474 at 1-9/16″ x 2-3/8″. Large: the Trodat 5480 at 2″ x 2-3/4″, the Trodat 54110 at 2-5/32″ x 3-5/16″, the Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 2-3/8 x 3-1/2 and, the biggest dater we publish, the Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″. Round daters run 3/4″, 1″, 1-3/16″, 1-5/8″, 1-3/4″ and 2″ in diameter. Date character height is 5/32″ on most Trodat daters, 1/8″ on the 43132, 46130, 46140 and 4724, and 7/64″ on the 46119 and 46125. Numbering machine characters are 1/8″, 3/16″ or 7/32″ tall. Shiny numberer die plates are 1-5/16″ x 2-3/16″ or 1-1/4″ x 2-3/4″.
How many impressions you get
Shiny’s Heavy Metal daters carry the highest figure we publish in this range: the pages say the line has been tested for over 100,000 impressions, with up to 5,000 impressions before needing to re-ink. Our SD300 stock phrase daters say the built-in pad makes it simple to accomplish 5,000 to 10,000 impressions before needing more ink, while the highlight list on the same pages says up to 5,000 impressions before needing to re-ink; take 5,000 as the conservative planning number. The Just Rite self-inking line date stamps say up to 5,000 impressions before needing to re-ink. Numbering machines are rated by daily rate rather than by total: the Reiner economy and deluxe machines say they produce thousands of impressions per day on a self-inking felt pad, and the wide-frame 307, 326 and 327 pages say hundreds of impressions. On sheer mechanical life, the metal-framed numbering machine and the Shiny Heavy Metal dater outlast anything else here, because the wearing part on both is a pad you replace rather than a die you cannot.
Ink and colors
Our self-inking daters offer 11 ink colors and a two-color combination with blue text and red dates, which is the one place in this whole range where a single impression can carry two colors. The Trodat 43132 and 46130 pages put it precisely: the pad comes with ink in one color for the entire image, or two colors, one for the date and another for the text. Die-plate daters ship with no ink at all. Every Trodat 4000, 2910, 3525, 3550, 3350, 3450 and 1113 page and every Shiny NTbac and Shiny Specialty page states it will require the use of a separate ink pad, sold separately, and you pick that pad’s color. Just Rite Regular line date stamps are the same: separate pad required. Numbering machines take a different ink from a stamp pad. Every Reiner page describes a self-inking felt pad in red or black ink, re-inkable and replaceable through a snap-in inking system, and the packages include an ink pad with a holder plus a stylus. Red and black are the only two ink colors our numbering machine pages offer, against 11 for a self-inking dater. Our catalog does not describe an oil-based numbering machine ink as a separate product on these pages, so if you need a specific ink formula for a numbering machine, ask us before ordering rather than assuming a stamp pad will do.
What you can customize
Line capacity is set by the body, and our pages state it per product. One line above and one below: the Trodat 46119, 46125, 3450 and 4000-A. Two above and two below: the Trodat 4750, 43132, 46130, 3525, 3550, 4000-B and 5430. Three above and three below: the Trodat 4726, 4727, 4729, 4731, 4724, 46130’s larger siblings the 46140 and 46145, the 4000-C, the 4000-R, the 5440 and the 54045. Four above and four below: the Trodat 5460, 5474, 2910-P04, 2910-P05, 2910-P06, 2910-P07 and 2910-P10. Five above and five below: the Trodat 5480. Six above and six below: the Trodat 54110, which our page describes as five lines in the body copy and six in its highlights. Single-line layouts: the Trodat 4813 takes one line to the left of the date, the 4850 one line above, the 1113 Local Style daters one line of text in a plate of 5/16″ x 3/8″, 5/16″ x 3/4″, 5/16″ x 1″ or 5/16″ x 1-1/2″. Several die-plate pages say your logo or signature may go in the text plate instead of type, including the Trodat 4000-C, the 4000-R, the 2910-P01 and the 46140. Numbering machines are not customized with text at all: you choose wheel count, character height, Roman or Gothic typeface, and on the Model 6A, 7A and B600-A an alpha leading band from the sets A-J, K-R or S-Z. Line number stamps are configured by band content, with Special Assembly allowing 0-9, A-M and N-Z in any position. Artwork for any custom die is best supplied as EPS, with a transparent PNG a good second, leaving about 2% edge space around the imprint.
The 6-year date band is a Shiny figure, not a house figure
It is common to be told that a date stamp carries six years. That is true of one family in our catalog and not of the rest. The Shiny NTbac die-plate daters, such as the Shiny NTbac Die Plate Daters 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 at $34.95, and the Shiny Specialty die-plate daters at $68.95, state up to 6 years on the bands, plus the phrases REC’D, ANS’D, ENT’D, PAID, P.M. and A.M.
Nearly every Trodat dater we publish states up to twelve years, from the $34.95 Trodat 46119 to the $119.95 Trodat 54110, and so do all the Shiny Heavy Metal daters. Just Rite’s line date stamps, Regular and Self Inking alike, state approximately 7 years. The Regular Approved Date Stamp and the Self Inking Approved Date Stamp both state year bands valid for 7 years, and so do the two Drawing Complete daters. One product in the range, the Trodat 54110, states up to ten years in its description where its siblings say twelve.
There is a second wrinkle worth knowing before you buy. On our Trodat die-plate pages the body copy and the highlight list do not always agree with each other: the Trodat 4000-B, 4000-C, 4000-R, 3550 and the whole 2910-P series say up to twelve years in the description and contains a minimum of 10 years of dates in the highlights directly beneath. Read that as a floor of ten and a likely twelve; if the exact end year matters for a compliance or archive use, ask us to confirm the band range on the unit we are shipping you.
The practical consequence is simple. A six-year band on a stamp bought today runs out sooner than a twelve-year band on a stamp that costs about the same. If the stamp is going to sit on a teller window or an AP desk for a decade, buy the band range, not the body style.
Ordering, proofs and delivery
Production is 1 business day. Orders ship from Richmond, Virginia, and transit is 3 to 10 business days by method and carrier, sometimes next day if you select rush shipping. There is no minimum order and no setup fee. A PDF proof is an optional add-on; when you order one, production waits until you approve it, so add that time to any custom-text dater or die-plate order. Stock phrase daters such as the SD300 series, the numbering machines and the Just Rite and Shiny line number stamps carry no custom text, so there is nothing to proof on them. On the Shiny and Just Rite Special Assembly numberers our pages state that special configurations are included in the displayed cost, so a non-standard band order is not a surcharge item.
Care, re-inking and replacement
Set the date by turning the bands, not by prying at the die. Trodat’s Professional daters have a finger guard so you can change the cartridge and set the date without inking your hands, and the die-plate daters use oversized adjustment wheels for the same reason. When impressions go pale on a self-inking dater, re-ink the pad or replace it; the Trodat 5430 page notes you can extend the life of the stamp with a replacement ink pad or a small bottle of refill ink, and the Shiny Heavy Metal pages state the self-contained pad is replaceable or re-inkable. A pre-inked stamp is different: it takes roughly 4 re-ink cycles before impression quality falls off, after which replace it. Numbering machine pads are re-inkable and replaceable through the snap-in system and the stylus in the box is for setting wheels by hand. Die-plate daters and Just Rite Regular line stamps have no internal pad to wear out at all; clean the rubber, store it face up away from the sun, and the die will outlast several pads. Acorn warrants rubber stamps for six months, which is the term printed on our product pages. That is the warranty, not the expected life: in normal use a stamp body lasts several years, and the part that wears first is the pad or the ink rather than the die.
Products in this range
| Product | Price |
|---|---|
| Trodat 5440 Heavy Duty Date Stamp 1-1/8 x 2 | $72.95 |
| Trodat 4750 Date Stamp 1 x 1-5/8 | $49.95 |
| Trodat 4000-B Die Plate Date Stamp 1-1/2 x 2 | $44.95 |
| Shiny NTbac Die Plate Daters 1-1/4 x 1-1/2 | $34.95 |
| Stock Received Date Stamp | $59.95 |
| Line Date Stamp Size 5/32 Characters | $13.95 |
| Trodat Metal Economy Sequential Number Stamp | $89.95 |
| 6 Wheel Number Stamping Machine Model 317 | $329.95 |
Browse the full range: Custom Date Stamps, Accounting and Finance Stamps, Office and Administrative Stamps, Numbering Machines, Line Number and Rotating Stamps, Endorsement Stamps.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a self-inking dater and a traditional dater?
The pad. A self-inking dater such as the Trodat 4750 at $49.95 or the Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 1-3/16 x 2 at $82.95 carries its ink pad inside the body; the die flips onto the pad between presses and you press and print. A traditional or die-plate dater such as the Trodat 4000-B at $44.95 or the Shiny Die Plate Dater 2 Diameter at $49.95 has no pad inside. Our pages for those say it will require the use of a stamp pad, sold separately. You buy a traditional dater when you want to choose the ink yourself, keep changing colors, or spend less on the stamp.
How many years are on the date bands?
It depends on the product, and our catalog states four different figures. 12 years on the Trodat self-inking and die-plate daters and the Shiny Heavy Metal daters. A minimum of 10 years in the highlight lists of the Trodat die-plate daters. Approximately 7 years on the Just Rite line date stamps, and year bands valid for 7 years on the Approved and Drawing Complete daters. Up to 6 years on the Shiny NTbac and Shiny Specialty die-plate daters. Check the band figure on the page for the model you want.
Is a numbering machine just a date stamp that counts?
No. A numbering machine has no rubber die and no date bands. It is a geared steel mechanism holding alloy figure wheels that advance themselves as you press, set in a die-cast or nickel-plated metal frame. Our range runs from 6 to 15 wheels and from $89.95 for the Trodat Metal Economy Sequential Number Stamp to $1,729.95 for the Book and Page Numbering Stamp Left Print. It prints numbers only, in Roman or Gothic at 1/8″, 3/16″ or 7/32″, and the wheel set is metal rather than rubber.
What ink does a numbering machine take?
Our Reiner pages describe a self-inking felt pad in red or black ink, re-inkable and replaceable through a snap-in inking system, with the pad, its holder and a stylus included in the package. Red and black are the only ink colors our numbering machine pages offer, against 11 ink colors on a self-inking dater. Our catalog does not list a separate numbering machine ink product on these pages, so if your application needs a specific ink formula, ask us before ordering rather than assuming a standard stamp pad ink is the right match for a metal wheel set.
How many wheels do I need?
Count the digits in your highest number and add any prefix digits you want held constant. Six wheels gives an imprint range of 0 to 999999, as our Economy B6 and B600 pages state; eight wheels gives 0 to 99999999, as the Economy Manual Numbering Machine Model B600-8 states. Our published wheel counts are 6 (Model 317, 316, 733, 19, 6A, B600, B6-532), 7 (Model 318, 319, 18-7, 19-7, 7A, 732-7), 8 (Model 320, 321, 18-8, 732-8), 9 (Model 322, 323, 18-9, 732-9), 10 (Model 324, 325), 11 (Model 326, 327), 12 (Model 329), 13 (Model 330, 331) and 15 (Model 332).
What does repeat and consecutive mean on a numbering machine?
They are the movements the mechanism can be set to. Repeat prints the same number again without advancing, which is what you want when the same number goes on several copies of one page. Consecutive advances by one on every press, which is the normal document-numbering mode. Between the two sit the multiples. Our Reiner deluxe and wide-frame pages list repeat, consecutive, and 2x, 3x and 4x character advancement, given in the highlights as Actions: 0x, 1-4x repetition. The Economy B6 and B600 series go further and state 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 12x and 20x character advancement, shown as Actions: 0x, 1-6x, 12x, 20x repetition. The Trodat Metal Economy Sequential Number Stamp states 8 movements with Actions: 7x repetition.
What is a drop zeros feature?
It blanks out the zeros to the left of your first significant digit, so a six-wheel machine set to 42 prints 42 rather than 000042. Our Economy and wide-frame Reiner pages call it the drop zeros feature and describe it as a dropped cipher; zeros to the left of the first digit do not print. It is standard on the B6, B600 and the wide-frame 307, 329, 330, 331 and 332 machines.
What is the biggest date stamp you sell?
The Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 2-1/2 x 4-1/2 at $199.95, with an impression area of 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″. The largest Trodat is the 54110 at $119.95 with an impression of 2-5/32″ x 3-5/16″ and room for text lines above and below the date. If you need the area for a logo and a date together, the Trodat 2910-P10 Die Plate Date Stamp at $44.95 gives you 2″ x 2-3/4″ for the price of a die-plate model, on the condition that you buy the pad separately.
Can I get the date in a different color from the text?
Yes, on the self-inking daters. Those pages offer a two-color combination with blue text and red dates alongside the 11 ink colors. The Trodat 43132 page describes the choice as one color for the entire image or two colors, one for the date and another for the text. Die-plate daters cannot do this, because the color comes from whichever separate pad you press them on.
What is a line number stamp and how is it different from a numbering machine?
A line number stamp is hand-set. You turn each rubber band yourself, often with the supplied stylus, and it holds its setting until you change it; nothing advances on its own. It suits job numbers, lot codes and part numbers that change in batches rather than page by page. Just Rite’s Regular Line Number Stamp 1/8 Character Size is $12.95 and holds up to 22 bands, but requires a separate ink pad. Shiny’s self-inking equivalent, the 12 Wheel Shiny Heavy Duty Self Inking Number Stamp 5/32 Characters, is $62.95 with a built-in pad and 11 ink colors. A numbering machine, by contrast, advances its own metal wheels on every press.
Which dater lasts longest?
By stated testing, the Shiny Heavy Metal line: those pages say the daters have been tested for over 100,000 impressions, in a body that minimizes plastic and uses recycled PET, starting at $72.95 for the Shiny Heavy Duty Dater 15/16 x 1-5/8. Trodat’s Professional daters make a durability claim of a different kind, a solid brushed stainless steel design with a metal framework, from $69.95 for the 5430. For pure mechanical longevity in this range nothing beats a Reiner numbering machine, because its printing part is alloy metal rather than rubber.
