Standard Rotating Stamp Holder w/ 14 Vintage Wood Office Stamps

Vintage “Standard” rotating metal stamp holder, maker-marked and designed for twelve stamps, here accompanied by fourteen original rubber stamps used at New Mexico State University (NMSU), Las Cruces, NM. The heavy cast base features a rotating nickel-finished armature crowned by a raised STANDARD insignia. Each stamp bears a turned wood handle, several marked Superior Rubber Stamps, Las Cruces, N.M. and Southwest Stamp Co., Albuquerque, N.M. Labels include “ACCEPTED,” “REJECTED,” “PURCHASE ORDER,” “QUOTATION,” “BUSINESS OFFICE N.M.S.U.,” and “CERTIFICATION AND/OR TEST REPORT REQUIRED.”

An evocative artifact of university administration, this complete set reflects the efficiency, precision, and hierarchy of mid-century institutional recordkeeping.

This stamp carousel was part of the Business Office at New Mexico State University, used for managing purchasing, payroll, and administrative approvals. Before computers, clerks relied on rotating stamp holders like this to classify and track paper transactions daily. Each stamp was a decision — Accepted, Rejected, Quotation Sent — leaving an official mark of human judgment and accountability.

Today, it stands as a tangible reminder of NMSU’s administrative past — both functional history and sculptural design object.

Stamp Inventory:

1. QUOTATION (large)
2. BUSINESS OFFICE N.M.S.U.
3. QUOTATION (small)
4. CERTIFICATION AND/OR TEST REPORT REQUIRED
5. HOLD FOR MRB
6. ACCEPTED
7. REJECTED
8. PURCHASE ORDER
9. HRS. WAGES W.H. TAX
10. ACCEPTED 
11. REJECTED 
12. QUOTATION 
    And Others

Makers Identified:

• Superior Rubber Stamps, Las Cruces, NM
• Southwest Stamp Co., Albuquerque, NM
• Standard (rotating stand brand mark)