Pelikan 500 500N And 500Nn

[kevennufc]

I noticed some pens put on sale in eBay with 500 features like gold cap and turning nob but the barrel is marked 400.

Wanna ask is that genuine or a replacement barrel.

And on the topic of 500 500n and 500 nn what is usually marked on the barrel as some are with the nib size marked in the barrel as well some are not.

I am a complete newbie who is fascinated by the gold colour of these pelikans. Hope someone with this knowledge can help.

[Chrissy]

This information might help.

[kevennufc]

I have browsed through that site. But seems no mention on the barrel marking. 😔

[Bo Bo Olson]

My 500 has faint Gunter Wagner Pelikan 500.........very faint the way it should be, so it does not distract from the class of the pen.

'51-54 for the 500, and unlike the other '50-54 400's, there is no size marking on the piston cap....in they would have to mar the gold piston knob. The nib is unmarked, but I guess an OBBB...........needs 2/3s-3/4ths a page for a legal signature. A pure signature pen.....sadly I have nothing to sign.

I do have a '54 transition Pelikan 400 with the same lighter shade of tortoise, that has marking on the cap ring and nib marked, a B. Not on the piston knob. At first I thought that a 400n, but the cap is regular 400 short.....(the little bit of difference in the rounding of the piston knob is hard to differentiate if one don't have one to check against.

 

The 500n & 500nn, would have been made after marking the piston knob stopped.

 

I have a 400 piston knob marked OB, but someone may have changed the nib to OM, in it seems the same size as my 400 OM......I'm not going to complain too much, I have other OB's of that era.

 

For a long time I never really expected to own a 400 and now have 4, not counting the 500.

 

Do keep your eye out on German Ebay for a 500.....mine cost E160....like the one before it in passed auctions................stay away from "Buy Now Idiot" and US Ebay.....

My Grail pen money burnt a hole in my pocket, and a flock of Pelikans followed me home. Back then 150 was way over budget, so I'd never even 'looked' at a 500....which I thought more expensive...having Stateside prices in my head from those in the States who bought one...but with money to burn and luck of having a 500 show up on German Ebay......got lucky.

 

You may have to hunt long and hard, in they are seldom.....but your choice, a grand pen at a nice price or paying an arm and a leg too much.

The prices in the States is too high, by far.

The German seller must take Paypal....many don't cheapening out. Must mail to your country, in some only mail in Germany. Some refuse to mail to the States lately because of Trump's clean air policy.

 

 

That info like is horrible..................I need a sea green 500.

Edited December 14, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[mana]

I have one black striped 500NN and IIRC (at work now) the barrel says Gunther Wagner Pelikan 500 and the cap is marked Gold Double L. Soooo... while technically you could have a "500NN" by just mating a 400NN with a double cap there exist ones that have the 500 inscribed at the end of the barrel.

[kevennufc]

So I understand now. They should have 500 marked on the barrel. So the one I saw may be a fake one with 400 marked on them 😔

[joss]

The Pelikan 500 can come with and without a barrel imprint but the imprint does not always include the "500" marking.

 

Typical barrel imprints are:

GÜNTHER WAGNER GERMANY

GÜNTHER WAGNER PELIKAN

PELIKAN 500 GÜNTHER WAGNER GERMANY

PELICAN ° GÜNTHER WAGNER ° GERMANY ° F

 

But a barrel with a "400" marking is definitely not correct for a Pelikan 500.

[kevennufc]

Dear Joss, thanks for your reply. Clear things up for me definitely. 😊

[joss]

Dear Joss, thanks for your reply. Clear things up for me definitely.

 

You are welcome.

 

There have been previous questions on the barrel imprints of Pelikan 400 and 500 pens so I once planned to record all imprint details of these pens that went through my hands. The information given above comes from 12 Pelikan 500 pens (8x 500, 1x 500N and 3x 500NN) that I saw over the last few years.

 

From this small study sample I see that:

Pelikan 500: 6 out of 8 have a barrel imprint and in 3 out of 6 this imprint includes "500"

Pelikan 500N: 1 out of 1 has a barrel imprint and in 1 out of 1 this imprint includes "500"

Pelikan 500NN: 2 out of 3 have a barrel imprint and in 0 out of 2 this imprint includes "500"

 

For what it is worth ...

[Chrissy]

I have browsed through that site. But seems no mention on the barrel marking.

 

It confirms that the Pelikan 500 is Identical to the Pelikan 400, only with rolled gold cap and filling knob.

[kevennufc]

Hey Joss so did u ever encounter one with 400 imprint? I do some internet search and in this forum someone asked few years ago about a 500 with 400 imprint also.

Wonder if it is a common trick of swapping to fake a 500

[MarkTrain]

According to Rick Propas a 500 barrel should be marked 500.

So I understand now. They should have 500 marked on the barrel. So the one I saw may be a fake one with 400 marked on them

I won't call one with a barrel marked 400 a "fake", better term would be a frankenpen.

Edited December 14, 2017 by MarkTrain

[Bo Bo Olson]

Frankenpen......my '54 transition 400 has the same shade of tortoise as my 500, but is a 400. You take a 400's tortoise barrel and replace the piston knob with a 500's, and a rolled gold it's rolled gold cap.....or in German, Gold Double L.

Edited December 15, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[kevennufc]

Yes. Thats probably the trick. To make one 500 from 400.

[sargetalon]

According to Rick Propas a 500 barrel should be marked 500.

I won't call one with a barrel marked 400 a "fake", better term would be a frankenpen.

I agree with this. Seems more likely to be a frankenpen.

[dnic]

500NN came with and without a barrel inscription. 400 is wrong anyway for a 500NN.

I think the later 500NN don't have the inscription. The earlier ones have.

 

Dominic

[Runnin_Ute]

According to Rick Propas a 500 barrel should be marked 500.

I won't call one with a barrel marked 400 a "fake", better term would be a frankenpen.

What I was thinking. Likely a need to change the barrel for some reason (cracked etc) and a barrel marked 400 was the easiest to find. Perhaps the donor had other parts (nib, section other) that were damaged and could not be used.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Wellllll....still a pretty pen even if it is a 400/500.