The items below are listed alphabetically by maker, with featured items grouped at the top.
Early American mechanical or propelling pencils are far scarcer than their English counterparts, yet to date have received rather less collector attention. This is beginning to change, but it is still possible to acquire wonderful specimens of pre-Civil War craftmanship for less than one might pay for a common mid-20th century fountain pen.
14788: Collins (?) extending pencil: very early American production, unmarked as to metal content but by all appearances solid gold of relatively low karatage, 8.7 cm long closed, 11.1 cm extended, steel tip insert, bulbous crown characteristically early, uses 1.0 mm lead, "M. Collins" in tiny letters on shaft, could be either maker or owner. Scattered shallow dings, even wear to shaft, tiny spot of solder over slider pins.
DATE: c. 1840 • CONDITION: G • $225
14783: Pratt & Brother extending pencil: unusually large and heavy, silver and distinctively American, 9.65 cm long retracted, 12.8 cm extended, uses 1.03 mm "M" lead, faceted purple glass seal. Well used but mechanically sound, from a well known pre-Civil War Boston retailer.
DATE: c. 1850 • CONDITION: G • SOLD
14883: unmarked extending pencil: gold filled, of excellent quality, characteristically American with a steel-tipped nozzle and an elegantly hand-engraved hexagonal barrel; 9.5 cm long retracted, 12.95 cm extended, uses 1.0 mm lead, faceted purple glass seal at end; excellent overall condition but for light tool marks to nozzle, one pinhead ding in the shaft cartouche, and a tiny crack where the engraver pushed a bit too hard when cutting a flower (see details).
DATE: c. 1850 • CONDITION: fine • SOLD
14880: unmarked extending pencil: gold filled, of excellent quality, characteristically American with a steel-tipped nozzle and a sliding ring fitting on the hexagonal barrel; 8.1 cm long retracted, 10.6 cm extended, uses 1.0 mm lead, faceted red glass seal at end.
DATE: c. 1850 • CONDITION: fine • SOLD
14789: unmarked extending pencil: small, unmarked silver, characteristically American with a steel-tipped nozzle and a sliding ring fitting on the engine turned round barrel, 5.5 cm long retracted, 7.85 cm extended, uses 1.03 mm "M" lead, faceted red glass seal at end. Tiny crack at front of slider slot does not affect function.
DATE: c. 1855 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • $50
14882: unmarked extending pencil: gold filled, excellent quality and condition, crisply engine turned rectangular shaft, long and slender proportions, 8.3 cm long retracted, 10.65 cm extended, uses 1.03 mm "M" lead; one tiny bump in the cartouche, seal is red faceted glass, American production.
DATE: c. 1865 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $95
14881: unmarked extending pencil: gold filled, hexagonal shaft, elegantly hand engraved, probably English, hardstone shield-shaped seal stone; 8.2 cm long retracted, 10.5 cm long extended, uses 1.6 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1870 • CONDITION: fine • $95
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14901: Eversharp pencil: rare nickel silver model with trowel clip, first Wahl production, but predating Wahl's takeover; 13 cm long, marked "PATENTED" and "EVER SHARP"; a couple of dents to the front of the barrel, slight bumps to the crown rim (see details), fully functional.
DATE: c. 1916 • CONDITION: G-VG • $105
14902: Parker Vacumatic Major: silver pearl, 12.8 cm long, nickel plated trim, aluminum Speedline filler, clean imprint with 1st quarter date code, matching date code on nib; near-perfect barrel transparency, unusual configuration with pre-1939 style simple arrow clip, striped cap jewel, and "bullseye" barrel jewel. Some age dulling to cap band, otherwise excellent.
DATE: 1940 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: fine • $365
14904: Parker 51 pencil: twist-action in grey, crisp 1/10 16K gold filled cap in fine parallel lines pattern, war-era clip is gold filled over silver; uses .9 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1945 • CONDITION: exc • $80
14897: Parker 45 in box: green cartridge-filler, brushed stainless steel cap, gold plated trim, 14K gold nib; made in USA, in original box with instructions and inserts dated between 1961 and 1963. Appears to have been sold with a converter, but no longer present (will accept current Parker converters and refills).
DATE: c. 1963 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: medium • SOLD
14913: Parker 75 pencil: sterling silver grid pattern, gold plated trim, older production with flat end button, made in USA, uses .9 mm lead, no dings, but some wear and tarnish to the plating.
DATE: c. 1968 • CONDITION: fine • $105
14905: Pelikan M810 Blue Ocean set in box: oversize transparent blue piston-filler with matching ballpoint, gold plated trim, 18K nib, Pelikan's first limited edition, a low-numbered example, #126 out of 5000, full packaging with matching numbers. Although 5000 fountain pens were made, only 1000 were paired with ballpoints, making sets such as this scarce indeed.
DATE: 1993 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: fine • $1250
14906: Pelikan M810 Blue Ocean in box: oversize transparent blue piston-filler, gold plated trim, 18K nib, Pelikan's first limited edition, #4258 out of 5000, full packaging with matching numbers, no barrel sticker.
DATE: 1993 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: medium • $795
14907: Pelikan M810 Blue Ocean in box: oversize transparent blue piston-filler, gold plated trim, 18K nib, Pelikan's first limited edition, #4258 out of 5000, full packaging with matching numbers.
DATE: 1993 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: fine • $825
14908: Pelikan M810 Blue Ocean in box: oversize transparent blue piston-filler, gold plated trim, 18K nib, Pelikan's first limited edition, #1627 out of 5000, full packaging with matching numbers.
DATE: 1993 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: medium • $825
14910: Pelikan M810 Blue Ocean in box: oversize transparent blue piston-filler, gold plated trim, 18K nib, Pelikan's first limited edition, #1485 out of 5000, full packaging with matching numbers.
DATE: 1993 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: medium • $825
14911: Pelikan M810 Blue Ocean in box: oversize transparent blue piston-filler, gold plated trim, 18K nib, Pelikan's first limited edition, #4816 out of 5000, full packaging with matching numbers.
DATE: 1993 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: medium • $825
14922: Sheaffer golf pencil: red-veined grey pearl ringtop, 6.75 cm long, gold filled trim, uses 1.1 mm lead; strong imprints, slight seam opening right above, looks like a scratch.
DATE: c. 1930 • CONDITION: fine* • $60
14914: Sheaffer Lifetime Triumph Sentinel DeLuxe set: large black lever-filler, 13.3 cm long, brushed stainless steel cap, gold filled trim, White Dot at end of barrel, big two-tone conical Triumph nib, section with ink window. Ding on top of cap, otherwise fine to excellent. Matching pencil uses .9mm lead, cap undinged. This first model of the Sentinel was sold only from 1946-47, as the cap was changed to a bright polished finish in 1948.
DATE: c. 1947 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • NIB: medium fine • $205
14912: Wahl-Eversharp 75 pencil: gold filled, 13.5 cm long, smooth; most Eversharps used 1.1 mm lead, but this is one of the much less common versions that uses 1.9 mm (.075") extra-thick lead; new old stock with original lead refill information slip in the spare leads compartment, but storage rust pitting to nose cone, one pinhead pit mark to side of crown (see details).
DATE: c. 1923 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • $150
14924: Waterman Crusader repeater pencil: burgundy with two-tone aluminum cap, 13.5 cm long, chrome plated trim, uses .9mm lead. New old stock, but light shop wear and typical age pitting to clip button plating.
DATE: c. 1949 • CONDITION: exc • $50
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