Caslon was the typeface we used for banks and institutional advertising literature pieces when we wanted a distinctive classy look that didn't interfere with the reader's comprehension of the piece.
It's difficult to imagine a more appropriate typeface. What makes it all the more remarkable is that Caslon was designed and cut in the early eighteenth century. Wikipedia will fill you in on the details.
Click on images to enlarge them.
Caslon specimen page courtesy of the Gutenberg Museum, named after Johann Gutenberg, the inventor of printing from moveable metal type. It is located opposite the cathedral in the old part of Mainz, Germany.
Antique Caslon
Antique Caslon Italic
How to identify Caslon by its distinctive features, source unknown
Digital Caslon by Adobe
Caslon 540 Italic with Initial swash A
Caslon Italic Swash initial caps, which should only be used as initial letters and never an entire word
Gerald Giampa at a Heidelberg press, courtesy Typophiles
I've included this extraordinary talent for all the amazing things he has done, which you can read about in more detail at the link above and by clicking here.
Gerald Giampa, Ezra Pound
The following examples illustrate Giampa's distinctive and contemporary use of Caslon
