In reply to what's it cost to get a custom font?:
I think per-glyph costing, as John does it, at least, makes considerable sense.
Charles: Columbus was made for MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan for the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago (right around when MS&J merged into ATF). So the “buttonhook f” was not due to linecasting requirements, but still, mainstream American foundry type of that era often avoided kerning f designs (see also: Cheltenham, Bookman, Cushing, De Vinne). In any case, distinctive though that particular “f” is, I have mixed feelings about it myself, and I already made an alternate “f” because one of my backers asked for it. :)