Swan Black And Gold Flat Top - Missing Band?

[Greenie]

Current ebay listing 303377187491

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MABIE-TODD-SWAN-FOUNTAIN-PEN-MADE-IN-NY1915-M-GOLD-NIB/303377187491

 

 

In the books, I only see this banding pattern with an additional wide band mid cap under the clip. The top two bands are just slid together - see listing for more details. But it seems strange to be missing a middle band. The barrel also seems wrong since all of my full sized BHR with multiple gold band pens have a plate on the barrel for engraving. This pen does not.

 

Thoughts?

[Cob]

"This pen is 104 years old" says the seller. Ha ha ha ha ha ha

 

The engraving on the top is fascinating; is this often found on NY Swans? It would be nice to know if there is a number stamped on the end of the barrel.

 

It's an attractive pen certainly - elegant in fact - I like the asymmetry of the cap bands.

 

Cob

[Greenie]

Never seen that engraving before. It seems to read M M Co - so some other company and not a MT Co logo.

The cap is in good condition, but it seems to be missing a band. But I don't see how it could be missing a band from the middle of the cap. So maybe it is a variant?

 

Trying to decide if it is worth making an offer.

[peterg]

 

In the books, I only see this banding pattern with an additional wide band mid cap under the clip. The top two bands are just slid together - see listing for more details. But it seems strange to be missing a middle band. The barrel also seems wrong since all of my full sized BHR with multiple gold band pens have a plate on the barrel for engraving. This pen does not.

 

Thoughts?

My pen is the same as yours Greenie (except UK manufacture - no number). The MCO Mxxx Company? on the cap suggests that it may have been supplied to a corporate order in which case the mid cap ring (which is pretty naff!) and engraving plate may have been left out to reduce the price.

Did any US companies use the double M as their logo in the 1920's?

Edited December 9, 2019 by peterg

[Greenie]

I have tried to look up the logo with image search, and with MMCo on google. Unable to find out anything.

 

Since I actually bought the pen, I can now see it and it is not missing anything on the cap. The pen is not hard rubber at all - it is plastic, I assume celluloid. The bands are in grooves in the cap band like any celluloid pen, and there is minor shrinkage of the top of the cap, so the bands are a little loose.

 

So while this looks like a Swan black and gold pen HR, it is different. Same textured bands, and similar band pattern, and it has that distinctive texturing on the edges of the clip just like the BHR with gold band series. The barrel is also plastic. No numbers on it. The numbering guy was off chatting up the cutie in shipping again that day. But the barrel seems to be a perfect match to the cap.

 

It has a #2 manifold (Boo!) nib.