The Mechanics’ Magazine, Museum, Register, Journal, and Gazette. No. 1051,Saturday September 30, 1843, 265.
I recall hearing that most type is about 50% redundant if the only consideration is legibility. If so, I’m interested in why mi-type, or something like it, never caught on. If the entire history of print was reduced by half the material costs—assuming it was just a legible— this would have been significant in labor/ cost/ carbon reduction.
Peachey Conservation 
Not fewer letters or less of the ones being used, but similar conceptually… gibberish…