Mis-Stamped Parker 45 Date Code?

[BlackwaterPark]

 

Just found this odd date code on an English Parker 45, does anyone know what it means?

 

Cap is CT and has a dimpled screw, so it dates between late '70s and 1989.

 

If the rest of the pen matches the cap, well, it has brass barrel threads instead of an inner barrel, and no end cap, so dates between 1979 - 1989.

 

UK made with a date code, so 1980-1989.

 

My guess is this is a 1983 P45, the year code of which was L with the disintegrating E. Perhaps this is a 1983 LI (quarter 4), and the 'I' was stamped twice?

 

Does anyone have any ideas / has anyone seen something like this before? And is a misprint like this (if I am correct) of any particular interest to collectors? I have enough P45s for myself and was planning on selling this one (came with a mixture of pens I bought, others of which I wanted).

 

Thank you!

Edited August 24, 2019 by BlackwaterPark

[baz666]

UI = fourth quarter 1981 ?

Edited August 25, 2019 by baz666

[BlackwaterPark]

Thanks for the reply - but I've never seen a U made with straight edges like that before. I'm reading that code as "LII", with the I mistakenly stamped twice. I've seen 1981 Parker Flighter 45 caps with the UI code before with a rounded 'U', but not like this, so I'm doubtful.

 

Have you known Parker to stamp a 'U' like that before? I've got a lot to learn and perhaps I just haven't seen it before.

[Inkysloth]

I think that is a square-cornered U... I have a similarly marked flighter, and theres no gaps or anything that would make me think its a mis-stamp.

[BlackwaterPark]

That's wonderful to know. I'll be on the lookout for more like this now. I wonder why they had two different U stamps. Thanks both, greatly appreciated!

[Runnin_Ute]

Does it look like one of these?

 

2003 – L.III L.II L.I L

 

L dot II would be quarter 2 2003

 

source: http://parker45pens.com/date-codes/

 

https://parkerpens.net/codekey.html

[Inkysloth]

Does it look like one of these?

<snip>

source: http://parker45pens.com/date-codes/

 

Mine looks like the example photo of the harlequin cap - a square-edged U. I'm glad to see reliable evidence that's the correct date marking!