Early Sheaffer Imprint Says "patents Pending"? 2M?

[Ezekiel]

Saw this pen recently and was intrigued.

 

Imprint read:

"Aug.28-08, Dec.10-12

Patents Pending"

"Sheaffer's" was all in caps; same size font, had an oval directly over the middle that said "Self-Filling"

And the bottom line was "Ft. Madison Fountain Pen Iowa, USA"

 

The bottom of the pen was stamped "2M".

 

Does this mean the pen was from before the Sheaffer patents actually took effect?

How rare was this pen?

I really couldn't find much info at all.

 

The body and cap were both in pretty good condition. Good dark black color. No cracks, etc. But the nib just said "Warranted 3 14K", and was cracked. I figured the nib was a replacement, and didn't know the value of the pen, so I passed on it.

 

Any Sheaffer sleuths have any input on this?

Edited October 28, 2017 by Ezekiel

[Roger W.]

A 2 Midget is a very common pen and the oval imprint was used circa 1913-1917. There were imprints used in between but, I think they went back to the oval as they were in the lawsuit over the double bar and wanted to keep up a certain status quo. It is the second imprint as is says 1912 which the first imprint wouldn't have as it was reliant upon the lever patent of 1908. I wrote an article for the Pennant some years ago covering this.

Roger W.

The oval

One of my favorite interims circa 1915

Oh, and the 1908 imprint

[KandyPenz]

Just wondering how rare the middle (1915) imprint is ? seen one on a ebay pen lot with a number 2 nib and a number of other pens.

[Roger W.]

Just wondering how rare the middle (1915) imprint is ? seen one on a ebay pen lot with a number 2 nib and a number of other pens.

The pen through the S is fairly unusual but, certainly find-able.

 

Roger W.

[shalitha33]

How many different S imprints are there ? just wondering. Ended up with one pen from a auction of 19 pens and one of them had this imprint (Shaffer No 21 with a # 2 nib) and this one has a different patent date to that on the above post. "Nov 24 1914" vs "Oct-20-14"

 

 

 

Edited March 7, 2020 by shalitha33

[Roger W.]

There are 2 imprints with the large S with the pen through it that I am aware of. Likely circa 1915 and used only for a short time as it appears that the oval imprint continued to be used even after 1915.

 

Roger W.