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Edinburgh Swan Pen Dealer Advertisement


ralphawilson

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I happened on this Swan ad in my favorite local San Francisco thrift store (Scrap). Perhaps it's of interest to Swan enthusiasts. I'm guessing the ad is from the early 1900s. I was surprised by the prices shown for these pens, though perhaps 10'6 would be a reasonable amount for a basic pen and 20 pounds for gold.

post-13281-0-65814700-1469814928_thumb.jpg

Edited by ralphawilson

"The surface is all you've got. You can only get beyond the surface by working with the surface." ~Richard Avedon

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To put these prices into perspective, an engineer would earn around £100 a year in 1900, so £20 is approaching 2 months wages.

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Great detective work, Empty_of_Clouds! Good perspective on the prices, Kenlowe!

 

I often wonder what fountain pens meant to people back when they were everyday tools, not special items of fascination as for we enthusiasts today. Fun to know there was such a thing as a "fountain pen depot" back then.

Edited by ralphawilson

"The surface is all you've got. You can only get beyond the surface by working with the surface." ~Richard Avedon

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Great detective work, Empty_of_Clouds! Good perspective on the prices, Kenlowe!

 

I often wonder what fountain pens meant to people back when they were everyday tools, not special items of fascination as for we enthusiasts today. Fun to know there was such a thing as a "fountain pen depot" back then.

 

 

I wonder that too Ralph, I suspect that the average peron 1850-1930 worked in a factory, never needed to write as part of his job, perhaps never had a need to write a letter. Clerks in banks etc would have had a dip pen provided by their employer, it was only managers and middle classes upwards who may have bought a pen for prestige purposes.

 

Would be interested in hearing of others on this, any social historians who have considered if the mass of the pre WW2 population would have owned a pen pre ball point pen era?

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Thanks to the OP for posting this splendid advertisement.

 

I should say that since this advertisement probably dates from before the First World War, I would estimate that 10/6d (10 shilllings and sixpence or 52½p) would equate to about £55 today. and thus the £20 gold pen would cost today's buyer about £2,000!

 

Cob

Edited by Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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Was there a difference in value between the Scottish pound and the English pound in the 1900s? £20 in English money seems very steep, even for a gold fountain pen, in the 1900s.

 

There's an English MT 1908 catalogue at PCA: https://www.pencollectorsofamerica.com/component/docman/cat_view/80-reference-materials/59-pens-from-england?Itemid=

 

The most expensive single pen listed there is a £12 18-ct No.3 chatelaine.

http://i.imgur.com/utQ9Ep9.jpg

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No, same value Goudy.

 

Actually we might possibly be doing Swan an injustice. the price says 10/6 (Ten Shillings and six pence) just over half a pound, actually half a guinea!

 

 

10/6 for a pen and £20 might be for a gold set or something else high end that Swan might have made.

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