Info On Old Waterman Pen?

[Inkybex]

Heya all,

 

I've got a tub of pens my granddad wants me to sell for him and I was wondering if anyone could help with any info (history, condition, use, rarity, pricing etc..) on a waterman pen.

 

On the side from what I can see (It's rubbed away a bit) it looks like it says:

 

PAT'D . 884 MAY.23.1899

WATERMAN'S (IDEAL) FOUNTAIN-

PEN NY U.S.A AUG 4 1903

 

And on the end of the pen it has the number 12.

 

Here's some pictures:

 

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k539/bexyboo88/Waterman007_zpsce2f5a94.jpg

 

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k539/bexyboo88/Waterman012_zps55c48b25.jpg

 

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k539/bexyboo88/Waterman024_zps1ef387c5.jpg

 

Thanks for any help in advance!

Edited September 26, 2014 by Inkybex

[pen lady]

Nice old pen. It's a Waterman Eye Dropper with 9k. gold bands. This pen will have a seam somewhere under the cap up near the nib section where it unscrews and is filled with an eye-dropper. Later pens were so-called self-fillers. It is made from hard black rubber and the nib is gold, most likely 14k. I think I've read that nibs marked "New York" have special value, others will either confirm this or shoot me down in flames LOL! Your pen is about 100 years old +/- and while hard black rubber is quite durable, please respect it's aage Also, avoid soaking it in water, it can fade HBR quickly.

 

Now here's where I hope the true experts chime in. "12" on the base would indicate this is a cone-capped eye dropper. Is this a cone cap? Also I see chasing on the cap but none on the barrel. Comments, and does the New York nib make much of a difference? I'd like to know and this isn't even my pen.

[Inkybex]

Heya, wow thanks for all the info! Very grateful.

 

Yeah when I got the pen out of the tub it was in it didn't have the lid on it. When I found the lid at the bottom of the tub I didn't think it was the right lid for it as the lid has the distinctive pattern but the pen just seemed plain.

Upon closer inspection, there is a pattern on it just faintly where it's rubbed away. If you look at the 2nd picture you can see it on the left hand side.

 

Here's some more piccys:

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k539/bexyboo88/Waterman014_zps839ed7db.jpg

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k539/bexyboo88/Waterman010_zpsefe64a1b.jpg

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k539/bexyboo88/Waterman008_zps7294b2cb.jpg

[pen lady]

I think gold in England is Hallmarked the same as silver. If I'm right and you can make out the marks on the gold bands, it will give you a pretty accurate date of manufacture. Perhaps a jeweler who specializes in antiques might be able to help. Best of luck.

Edited September 27, 2014 by pen lady

[Cepasaccus]

I would say the hallmark shows an e from London, which dates this to 1920/21.

[Procyon]

To answer a few questions raised by pen lady - the New York nibs are indeed more valuable and desirable than the later Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. marked nibs. Also this is truly a cone cap - although I always thought the name was misleading, since the conical part is really the section and barrel that fits into the cap.

 

What it really means is that the cap fits over a tapered section/barrel until it is gripped tight. When capped the cap overlaps the barrel. The other type of cap, the straight cap, fit over the barrel so that the cap and barrel had the same diameter where they met. The 3rd kind of cap, the tapered cap, was like the straight cap where it met the barrel, but tapered almost to a point at the far end.

 

Hope this makes sense.

[pen lady]

Thanks for the information. I hope the owner is as grateful as I am. Isn't FPN wonderful, "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts".

[Inkybex]

Thanks so much for the all the information I'm truly very grateful, it's really interesting to learn about these old pens.