leo academyBeta
Handbook

Letter h · secretary hand

Figure-8 h

Unit 3Mostly later handsoccasional

Head loop and crossed tail both closed, giving an 8-like letter on a slant.

Model letter

McKerrow (1927), fig. 22, no. 5 · public domain

In practice lines

Every h below was checked by hand. They are not yet sorted by form, so some show another h.

“the”
“himselfe;”
“he”
“the”
“distinguish”
“shall”
“should”
“Goldsmiths”

Practice lines drawn in period hands

Don’t confuse it with

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Other forms of h

Model letters: R. B. McKerrow, An Introduction to Bibliography (1927); Jean de Beauchesne & John Baildon, A Booke Containing Divers Sortes of Hands (1570 and 1581); Giovambattista Palatino, Libro nel qual s’insegna a scrivere (1550); and manuscripts in the Folger Shakespeare Library; all public domain. They stand in until Leo’s own model letters are drawn. Secretary letters typeset in Joscelyn by Peter S. Baker (SIL Open Font License).