Pelikan 400 Cap Query

[Whiterose64]

Hi,

 

I inherited my parents pens when they died which was the time bomb that set me off collecting. My Mums pen is a Pelikan, I think a 400, which she told me was a present from a German exchange student in the early 1950's.

 

The query I have is that the cap has an 'S' engraved on it which seems a bit weird. Usually you have a name or at least 2 initials if you personalise a pen. My mothers name was Margaret I don't know the name of the friend so I suppose her name could have begun with s.

 

I just wondered if it was some kind of designation by Pelikan or maybe done by shop.

 

Here is a picture of the pen, I put chalk on to make the s show up, it is quite faint and I only noticed it a while ago. The pic has a play button on it as my iPad has decided to lock on video since the last ios update and I can't take pictures, just screencaps of the video.

[Beechwood]

Is it an S or could it be CJ or RJ?

Edited September 2, 2014 by Beechwood

[Whiterose64]

You're right Beechwood it could be a combination of those letters.

 

Though I'm confused why someone would give a pen to someone which was already personalised for someone else. My Mum told me about the pen being a present long before she got Parkinson's and her mind got muddled so she didn't but it herself. If she had bought it she wouldn't have got a personalised one unless it was her own initials. My Aunt remembers the exchange student but not the pen though she does remember getting a present from her as a thank you for staying with my grandparents whilst she was in the UK and because they became friends.

 

Maybe it will always be a mystery.

[Beechwood]

The logo looks more advertising than personalisation and Pelikan were active at approaching banks and finance houses for promtional goods, perhaps others could comment

[Matlock]

I wonder if the S could be related to "Student"? Maybe some German Student Union? Just a thought.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Some times one owns the gift...and when one admires what can be later reacquired, the gift is given.

 

Money was hard to find for the Germans back then, wages were low; stayed low until 1970, because the DM was locked at 4 to1$.. So an exchange student could not have afforded a new pen as a gift, and given of their self, their very own pen....and that was in the time of One Man, One Pen.

A fine gift of ones own fine pen...to a good friend.

 

 

Would like to see the piston end...to see if it's a 400, 400n or 400nn.

It would have had a semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex nib...not as rare in England then as in the US at that time...but a piston pen would have been rare, in Swan (which had similar flexes in it's nibs) had gone back to the lever. English Parker had to be unscrewed to be filled.

[Whiterose64]

Thanks for the info Bo Bo Olson.

 

I seem to remember that the girl was from a well to do family. Though my Mum was surprised at how expensive the pen would have been and never expected a present. I also seem to remember that the pen came by post after the girl got back to Germany which I guess would have been expensive.

 

Maybe it was a promotional item given to the family through business contacts. I'll probably never know what the engraving is but curiosity got the better of me so I thought I'd see if anyone had an idea.

 

I love the pen and would never sell it as it was Mums and I use it to write special or important letters.

 

You wanted a better look at the piston end - is this any better?

[Bo Bo Olson]

Is very hard to tell. Looking at my 500 (fancied up 400) and 400n, think it a 400n not a 400. There is a small difference in the rounding of the piston cap and the cap is a tiny tad longer.

 

There are folks here that can tell you....so if a 400-1950-54, 400n-'55.

The 400nn came out in '56.

I have a rare one from early '56...... friction feed. I'd bought it to put the nib on my '90's M400.

There are rare early 1950 400's with the same problem....some penny pinching idiot manager decided to do away with the screw in nib....and folks didn't buy...so they went back to screw in nibs.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[christof]

I guess that this pen was a promotional gift.

I have, at least one other Pelikan, which has also a stamped company sign at exactly the same place on the cap as yours has.

 

 

Engraved names looks different on Pelikans from that time:

 

 

...and yes, your pen is a Pelikan 400 from 1950-1956, clearly indicated by the shape of the blind cap and the plain script nib.

 

Edited September 3, 2014 by christof

[Whiterose64]

Thanks Christof

 

As you say it could be a company logo. A wealthy business family would more than likely have got promotional items.

 

I guess I'll never know for sure.

 

It's good to know for sure it is a 400, the timeframe matches the history of the pen.