In talking with Gary, we decided to have a go with this typeface. It is from American Specimen Book of Type Styles, by the American Type Founders Company (1912).

A sample of Lining Livermore #2:

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I need to chop up the page into sections and once done, I will attach various files in this thread. This is going to be a first-class font freely available only here at T&G.

We need to pay attention to the number of nodes and what types they are. Wherever possible, use smooth curves. Draw the glyphs instead of automated tracing. We need a proper number of nodes, not too many as is created by tracing, and not so few the node handles are out in space in order to make the curve fit the shape.

I will be overseeing the project and take it first into TypeTool for any needed clean-up. And with the aid of Gary, we'll get it into Fontlab to generate the eventual font. A truly commercial font (for free to everyone of course) is what we are after--and that is what we will all have with your shared efforts!

Take care, Mike