Are you an author in need of a trusty scribe? Meet Mira the Maritsa.

Every writer requires not just a standard machine to set up at their desk but also a portable to take with them wherever their whim dictates. Whether at the beach, under a bridge, or sitting up in bed, without a portable typewriter, what good is a writer's perch?

The name 'Maritsa' comes from the deep river which runs through Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She is a weather-worn trooper with plenty of life in her yet. She is a circa-1965, rough-and-ready, toad-coloured typer with a secret: she's a Princess in disguise. Literally. Maritsa 11 is the same patent as the (Keller & Knappich ) Princess 200 typewriter.

She can take a red-and-black ribbon if needed. I have put in a new black ribbon and ribbons are readily available online in New Zealand, and cheap.

Her typing is quite cushioned and moderately firm. Her bell goes bing.

She has a half-space function for ligature typing.

Her case has one of the rarest features of any typewriter case I have encountered: a working key and lock!

Serial number: 11127874 (circa-1965) Plodiv Typewriters Works – Bulgaria

Please see pictures as they form part of the description. I am selling as is. She has multiple paint-scuffs and rust spots and could use a good cleaning and/or paint touch-ups if desired. She is, however, functioning. My job is to get these machines working and I leave all aesthetic considerations up to the new owners.

A quirk of Mira the Maritsa: when you hear the margin bell go bing you must pay attention. You have three letters to go before the letters begin typing on top of each other as the carriage won't move but the typebars will not be impeded. As with most typewriter quirks, you get used to it pretty quickly. If perfect typing appearance is desired then I recommended you plan for the three-letter stop as the spacing isn't perfect beyond this boundary – as shown in the photographed text.

Pick-up Onehunga or I can ship at buyers risk/expense.