Nicolas Cochin (not to be confused with another font named simply “Cochin”) was originally designed by Georges Peignot in the early 20th Century and was based on engraved letters of the 17th Century artist Charles Nicholas Cochin.

Many foundries including Lanston released versions in the 1920s. Several digital versions can now be found, but none have kept the irregular details of the metal type which include strokes that cross over each other as if hand drawn (see letters K & y). More…

The new Lanston digitization is the only digital version to retain the idiosyncratic treatment which makes the metal type so alluring.

The Opentype version included an expanded Central European character set as well as ligatures, alternates, fractions, superior/inferior numerals (the Italic also has swash characters).