Have spent the afternoon reading your forum which as a Cross enthusiast has been very interesting.

I know that the subject of silver or not has come up before and I have enjoyed reading about all the different ways to identify sterling silver but really it has just left me more confused....

So this is what I have

All the pens are from the Cross Townsend Tuxedo range

Fountain Pen: Script engraving on clip, silver interior to cap and hallmarked on the cap side, top of cap broad black band with solid silver end.
Fountain Pen: Block engraving on clip, silver interior to cap and Cross USA on the cap side, top of cap broad black band, silver end with black dot.

Ball Pen: Block engraving on clip, brass interior to cap and hallmarked on the cap side, top of cap broad black band, silver end with black dot.
Ball Pen: Block engraving on clip, silver interior to cap and Cross USA on the cap side, top of cap thin black band, silver end with black dot.

Clearly the hallmarked ones speak for themselves but don't seem to follow the pattern with regard to the clip engraving that other people have suggested, the other two items I guess could be sterling silver but from the American market.

Exactly how do I tell.....is there a definitive answer?????

I don't think there is a definitive answer.
I have bought all my Sterling Silver Cross fountain pens directly from Cross here in Rhode Island so I have to assume they are genuine.
So to add to the confusion:
My Sterling Silver Pinnacle (issued approx 1997) is clearly marked "925 Sterling" at the cap band

My Tennis Hall of Fame LE has no metal content markings at all

My Century II all Sterling (issued approx 1998) likewise has no metal content markings and "Cross" in block on clip and at top of cap below the black band.

My Townsend all Sterling (issued approx 1996) has "Cross " in block on the clip and a black band/black dot at the cap top and "Cross USA" at the cap band

Of note is that all of them, like yours, are silver inside the cap and barrel.

I don't know about hallmarking laws elsewhere but certainly for the UK market the solid silver Cross pens have Cross in script on the clip and hallmarking on the barrel and cap whereas the silver plated models have CROSS in block capitals on the clip and no hallmarks of course. In addition, near the top of the cap by the black band there is further description of "925 sterling" or not.

This holds true for my Townsend and Century in FP, ballpoint, pencil and selectip. Hope this does not add to your confusion!
Chris

For what it's worth, I have two silver Cross pens. Several years ago, when I was living abroad, I picked up a sterling silver Century II BP, which was made in Ireland, had the Cross name in script on the clip and was hallmarked on both the top and bottom sections.

Last month, I picked up a Townsend Tuxedo on eBay, which has a sterling silver cap and black lacquer body. This one (now discontinued) had the Cross name in block letters and no hallmarks. It's distinguished from the silver plate Townsend Tuxedos in that the black ring encircling the top of the cap is further down and bolder than than those on the silver plate models. As jjb 13 noted above, my Tuxedo is silver on the inside of the cap, and not brass.

Aren't some of the Tuxedo caps rhodium? I have one with block lettering on the clip and no hallmark. I've had it a while, and since there is no sign of tarnishing as silver always does, I've made the assumption that the cap on mine is rhodium. But I don't know.

Judybug

Judybug,

Yes, you are absolutely correct...some of the Tuxedos are rhodium-plated; in fact, I was wrong before when I called them silver-plate.

Somewhere on one of these threads, I saw a link to an old Cross catalog where they had the discontinued Tuxedo models, and one could see the slight differences between the silver and rhodium cap models (the silver has the bolder line at the top of the cap and it's a smidge further down from the top).

The one I bought on eBay was advertised as a rhodium-plate model with an 18k nib...it was only after it arrived with a "sterling silver cap" hang tag and tarnish on the cap that I got suspicious and started searching on the web for info. I think even the dealers can't tell them apart...

Slippy is correct. The Tuxedo finish in the Townsend was done in Sterling Silver at first. They switched in 2002/2003 to a plated cap. I used to be a rep for ATX a while ago and that's when I remember the transition. (I may be off a bit so don't shoot me if I'm off by a model year.)

DMac

It's not too difficult to tell the difference between the silver caps and the rhodium plated caps, at least to me. I have a Century II with a silver cap and a Townsend with the rhodium plated cap. The rhodium is more shiny, more metalic looking and the silver has a distinctive white color. And of course the silver caps tarnish with time.

I much prefer the silver over the rhodium. The silver is quite distinctive, while the rhodium looks like any old shiny metal.

For what it's worth.

Matt C

Are you sure your Tennis Hall Of Fame LE is not hallmarked on the nib section? I ask because mine is.

Sorry for so late a reply.
Yes all my Cross gold nibs are hallmarked, either 18K or 14K as the case may be.
The Tennis LE has an 18K nib and is so marked.
What I have yet to find is a hallmark on barrel or cap indicating the sterling silver construction.

On mine the silver nib section that unscrews from the barrel is hallmarked. The nib as you said is stamped 18K.