A Fabulous Vintage Font Rediscovered and Reinvented The original Aetna font was patented by William Page on April 18, 1871. The sturdy letters featured the Detroit Serif with trapezoidal rather than rectangular terminations. The point was a bolder display font that could "withstand rough handling," as described in Rob Kelly's American Wood Type 1828-1900. We recommend reading Mark Simonson's excellent summary of the Aetna story, which can be found here. Although the original Aetna's popularity faded in the early 20th Century, it is now