Our Sold Archive provides information to budding vintage fountain pen/writing equipment collectors and social history students.
Each fountain pen or piece of writing equipment forms part of the collective history of its period and has a history unique to that particular item. In the 1930’s a silver banded fountain pen (right) was purchased by estate workers, with no doubt hard earned wages, and inscribed to present as a silver wedding gift to the land owner. It was reported recently that, in the days before the National Health Service, when health care had to be paid for, a man pawned his fountain pen to raise funds to enable his wife to be released from hospital. A recently sold writing cabinet was originally a presentation piece to recognise 40 years of loyal service in a period when jobs were for “life”. Just three examples which only scratch the surface of the lifetime of memories held within each item. A treasure trove of history that no new fountain pen could convey.
Below, and on following pages, are all the pens in our Sold Archive, displayed in a random order. If you wish to search the sold archive, then the Search Catalogue page gives you an opportunity to do so. On other pages you can find the desktop items part of our Sold Archive, as well as lists of our current stock of pens and desktop items.
Merlin No.33 - Lined Terracotta | Stock number: 1027 |
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Fine to medium nib, Button fill system. |
Sold |
This Merlin No.33 vintage pen was made in Germany around 1950. It is a very serviceable economy line button filling pen. Being 12cm (4½ inches) long with the cap on, and 14cm with cap on barrel end, it is a good size for the smaller hand. This particular example has the rarer orange/terracotta lined finish with a gold tone clip. Whilst it is a vintage pen it has not previously seen much use and therefore the fine-medium Merlin 14ct gold nib will smooth to suit your hand. Condition is good. I now have only a limited amount of these ex-old factory Merlins left to sell and they have proved to be very popular economy pens. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. unless otherwise stated and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request and filling instructions will be sent with your order.
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Conway Stewart The Conway Pen No.759 | Stock number: 5340 |
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Fine nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This attractive vintage fountain pen was manufactured by Conway Stewart in England around 1937. It is called “The Conway Pen - No.759” and is in a finish termed blue pearl and black. The cap has a single rolled gold band and the Conway branded rolled gold clip. The barrel imprint is still strong stating “The Conway Pen - Conway Stewart No.759” and carries the Conway branded rolled gold lever. Condition overall is very good with very minor age wear. The 14ct nib states “Conway Stewart 14ct Gold 2” and has a fine point. It is a slim pen and a good length measuring 12.2cm with cap on and 16.5cm with cap on barrel end. An excellent Conway to add to a collection or use as an everyday writer. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. unless stated otherwise and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Sheaffer PFM III | Stock number: 5091 |
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Fine to Medium nib, Snorkel fill system. |
Sold |
This fountain pen was manufactured by Sheaffer pens in the United States of America from 1959 to 1963. Regarded by some as “the best fountain pen ever” this Sheaffer is called the PFM (Pen For Men) due to its large size and (then) new bold styling. These days it is equally popular and appropriate for females who prefer a larger size fountain pen. This particular model, the PFM III, has a wine plastic cap and barrel with gold fill trim with the (at the time) newly designed Sheaffer 14ct gold inlaid nib. This particular example has a fine to medium nib. The “clean” filling method is via a “snorkel” (named after the tube-breathing submarines of the Second World War) which extends from the nib end of the pen combined with a piston fill. It is in good condition with some minor age wear and measures 13.8cm with cap on and 14.4cm with cap on barrel end. An excellent vintage pen to either add to a collection or use as an everyday workhorse. It comes complete with a copy of the original filling instructions. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Swan SF2 - silver band | Stock number: 5153 |
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Medium to Broad nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This vintage Swan fountain pen was made in England by Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd. It is primarily made of hard rubber rather than plastic we know today. I would normally have dated this pen around 1928 however as you read on it will become evident that these pens, in their basic form, were still in circulation in 1934. It is an unusual vintage pen in that a silver band has been added to the barrel to commemorate a special occasion. It contains the inscription “To Mrs W H C Llewellyn - from the Estate Staff - Silver Wedding 3. 11. 34.” One can only imagine the collection being taken amongst estate workers and the proud presentation to Mrs Llewellyn of this very special gift. Hard rubber fountain pens were normally upgraded for the more discerning customer by the addition of gold fill bands and it is rare to find a silver band. Originally it would not have had a clip – I have added an old slip on accommodation clip (so called as it can accommodate most pen caps of the period) to make it easier for the next owner to use it everyday. If it is not required it can be easily slipped off the end of the cap without damage. The top of the cap has the Swan logo imprinted. The barrel imprint is good and has the text ”Swan Self Filler Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd. Made in England”. The nib reads “Swan 2 14ct Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd Made in England”. It has a medium to broad slightly oblique nib. It measures 14cm with cap on and 17.6 cm with cap on barrel end. It is a very elegant and unusual vintage pen which will be a pleasure to own by collector or user. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request. | |
Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd. Gold Fill Overlay Fountain Pen and Pencil | Stock number: 5072 |
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Medium nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
The vintage pen in this set was made in America by Mabie Todd & Co, New York around 1925. Mabie Todd also manufactured pens in the UK under the brand name of Mabie Todd and Bard and “Swan”. This particular pen, whilst having been made in America it is contained within a leather covered case with a blue velvet interior stating “Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd., London”. At first glance this is a little confusing however it was the case that the UK manufacturing base in Liverpool and London imported some pen parts from America as need dictated, therefore this mismatch is not a cause for concern. The pen is a gold fill overlay lever fill with a ring at the top. It is a short pen, measuring 10cm with cap on and 12.5cm (excluding ring top) with cap on end. It was made, primarily, for the female market and would have either hung around the neck by a ribbon or chain, or be clipped inside a handbag. Pens of this design were also used by men, for example, to hang from a watch chain. It has a “Mabie Todd & Co. Toronto" gold nib (even more confusing!) with a medium point and the barrel inscription lozenge is clear. The pencil is a Fyne Point gold fill overlay in working order, again with a clear lozenge and a ring top. Apart from some plating wear to the pencil this vintage fountain pen and pencil is in very good condition. There is some gold fill colour variation between the pen and pencil. The accompanying box is also in good order with no tear or wear to the inner lid lining or velvet. The box closes well on its clasp with a satisfying snap. The external leather covering the box is good on the top and sides. The rear of the box has some leather wear. This is an ideal presentation set or addition to a collection but equally good if pressed into daily use. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. Filling instructions will be sent with your order.
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Merlin No.33 Blue with black line | Stock number: 1030 |
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Fine to Medium nib, Button fill system. |
Sold |
This Merlin No.33 vintage pen was made in Germany around 1950. It is a very serviceable economy line button filling pen. Being 12cm (4½ inches) long with the cap on, and 14cm with cap on barrel end, it is a good size for the smaller hand. This particular example has a blue and black line finish with a gold tone clip. Whilst it is a vintage pen it has not previously seen much use and therefore the fine-medium Merlin 14ct gold nib will smooth to suit your hand. Condition is good with only minor wear to the clip and cap band. I now have only a limited amount of these ex-old factory Merlins left to sell and they have proved to be very popular economy pens. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. unless otherwise stated and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request and filling instructions will be sent with your order.
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Swan No.6142 | Stock number: 5206 |
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Medium to slightly broad nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This Swan vintage fountain pen was made in England in 1938 by Mabie Todd & Co. Ltd. – a pen company which originated in America in 1843, opening its UK subsidiary in 1884 in Cheapside in London. At one point Swan pens were advertised as “the pen of the British Empire” as the English subsidiary bought the rights to the European and colonial business in 1915. This particular model, made in 1938, is called the No.6142 – a lever filling pen in a dark and pale blue marble finish with gold fill trim. The cap has one thin gold fill band and a pleasing “Swan” logo on the cap top and at the top of the ball ended clip. It measures 12.6cm with cap on and 15.7cm with cap on barrel end. The barrel imprint states “Swan Self-Filler. Mabie Todd & Co.Ltd. Made in England” and bears the “Swan” trademark. The nib is 14ct. medium to slightly broad point “Swan No.1”. A classic pen of the period used for school, general office and everyday writing in fair to good condition with some surface body wear and some brassing to the clip and lever – however this is reflected in the price. It will provide many more years of writing service. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request and filling instructions will be sent with your order. | |
Parker "51" Grey with lustraloy cap | Stock number: 5322 |
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Fine to medium nib, Aerometric fill system. |
Sold |
This vintage pen was made in England by Parker. Whilst there is no date on the barrel, the nib states “14k Parker England 59”. It is generally accepted that Parker ceased nib dating in England in 1959 (Shepherd 2004) but given this evidence it was perhaps a phased withdrawal. The aerodynamic design of the "51" has made it a classic and the plaudits it has received over the years both in terms of design and reliability are well deserved. Its contribution to design is evidenced by its display in the Design Museum in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and it has been marketed as “51…the world’s most wanted pen”. This particular model has a grey coloured body (which Parker termed Navy Grey) and a lustraloy cap. It is in good condition overall with some minor surface wear to both body and cap and a slightly darker than normal end jewel. The Parker 51 conical nib, has a fine to medium point. It measures 14cm with cap on and 15.2cm with cap on barrel end. The aerometric filling system is often termed "squeezebox" and is a very simple method of filling the pen with ink by unscrewing the barrel to expose a metal shell covering the ink sac - just press the metal bar and release up to five times and this vintage pen is ready to use. Parker 51’s are not only a collector’s item but also an excellent everyday workhorse. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. Filling instructions will be sent with your order and a gift box is available free of charge on request.
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Sheaffer 1920's Gold Fill Overlay Ring Top | Stock number: 5051 |
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Medium nib, Lever fill system. |
Sold |
This delightful 1920’s ring top gold fill overlay, lever filling vintage fountain pen was made by Sheaffer. In common with the fashion at the time it has a ring on the top of the cap rather than a clip. It was designed to have a ribbon or chain through the cap ring which enabled ladies to wear it around the neck or gentlemen to hang it from a watch chain. The basic fountain pen is made of hard rubber and has a gold fill overlay on both cap and barrel. The barrel has the word “Sheaffers” around the neck. The cap is a firm fit on the end of the barrel where you store it whilst writing. The nib is not the original Sheaffer nib – this has been replaced during its life with a Swan No.1 gold nib with a medium point. It has a slightly turned up tip and is a very pleasing writer. It is a small vintage pen measuring 10cm with cap on and 13cm with cap on barrel end. Condition is fair to good with some age wear as is evident in the photograph and a slight indentation on the smooth band just under the cap ring - but this is reflected in the price. The lozenge is clear should you wish to personalise it. A very pleasing pen to write with, in an attractive overlay design and one to use as an everyday writer or to add to a vintage fountain pen collection. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. unless stated otherwise and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. Filling instructions will be sent with your order and a gift box is available free of charge upon request. | |
Parker Senior Duofold De Luxe | Stock number: 5068 |
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Fine-Medium nib, Button fill system. |
Sold |
This iconic Parker Senior Duofold De Luxe vintage pen in Black and Pearl finish was made in the USA around 1930 and is a classic Parker fountain pen of the period. It measures 12.9 cm with cap on and 16.6cm with cap on barrel end. The cap sports the original gold plated Parker ball ended clip and three thin cap bands. The barrel imprint is feint but states “Geo S. Parker Duofold” Made in USA” and there is reference to a patent. The nib is a large Parker USA arrow nib and is a fine – medium writer. The pen is in good order overall with acceptable even age discoloration and only minor brassing on the clip and cap bands. Under a strong loup it appears that at some stage it has been personalised but this has faded with time and does not detract from the overall beauty of this quality vintage pen. It fills by unscrewing the blind cap at the bottom of the barrel and pressing in the metal button – then releasing – leaving the nib in the ink for 5-10 seconds to allow ink to enter the interior sac. An excellent purchase for collector and/or user. All fountain pens are professionally serviced by Vintage Fountain Pens Inc. and bench tested prior to offering for sale. A further inspection is carried out before despatch. A gift box is available free of charge on request and filling instructions will be included in your order.
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If you would like us to try to source another copy of a previously sold item, please stating the stock number of the item in question, which you will see above its picture on the right.