Marking dial in an electrically actuated nameplate marker is indexed by a ratchet gear means having two adjacent rows of gear teeth which are out of phase relative to each other. A solenoid-actuated detent plate is adapted to engage a gear tooth in one of the two rows of gear teeth in response to a signal from a rotary switch means, thereby positioning the marking dial so as to imprint a desired character. The rotary switch means is operably connected to an alphanumeric keyboard which completes a circuit to solenoids which actuate the detent plate.
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