Swan Mystery

[Cob]

Have a look at this picture:

 

 

it shows the barrel stamp of a very nice Swan 1060 I have up for sale on eBay at present. I suspect that the curious additional letters are a production error so I suppose this pen must be judged a quality control failure - rare I should say at Mabie Todd before the war. It can be seen that the misplaced letters are made with the factory stamps.

 

Any views on this curiosity?

 

Cob

[Fountain-head]

Does this increase the value of the pen if there's any kind of misprint?

Edited May 4, 2015 by Fountain-head

[delano]

That's a good question in the "condition is everything" world.

[Cob]

Thanks for your comments. As to the value, I doubt that it would be increased by this peculiarity - fortunately the pen is very nice otherwise.

 

On the other hand if one reflects on those people who collect stamps where there is some printing error - the Queen's head upside down etc., then perhaps is is a collector's piece!

 

I agree that it would seem likely that the barrel did get stuck in some machine - or that someone was careless!

 

Rgds

 

Cob

[peterg]

I agree with you Cob. Definitely a collector's item. How much did that Swedish stamp go for last week? Must be worth most of that!

[Goudy]

Were the pens of that era hand-stamped or machine stamped?

Probably hand-operated machines like the old printing presses. There'd be a production line. Ethel stamped the Swan logo, and Mavis alongside her stamped "Made in England". But Mavis had her mind on other things that day. That nice man in the nib department had just asked her on a date. So she pulled down the lever before the pen was properly aligned. "Never mind," she thought. "No-one will notice that in a hundred years."

[Cob]

Ha ha ha: you chaps are great - thanks

 

Cob

[Cob]

I agree with you Cob. Definitely a collector's item. How much did that Swedish stamp go for last week? Must be worth most of that!

I haven't noticed anything about a Swedish stamp. Was it an awful lot?

 

C.

[Goudy]

Well, she's 92 and the only heavy machinery she operates these days is a Stannah Stairlift. But sure... why not.

[Ana_]

I truly wish I'd been hovering around the quality contol room of the Mabie Todd factory. Some pens marked, some not & now the double print still, my most favorite fountain pen ever. That is an interesting example! I don't see why it shouldn't go for as much as a misspelt stamp. Great find Cob!

[Cob]

I truly wish I'd been hovering around the quality contol room of the Mabie Todd factory. Some pens marked, some not & now the double print still, my most favorite fountain pen ever. That is an interesting example! I don't see why it shouldn't go for as much as a misspelt stamp. Great find Cob!

 

Ha ha; I'd have liked to have seen that too. Mind you, you might have had to watch out for that "nice chap in the nib department" - and you might have made Mavis jealous!

 

Rgds

 

Cob

[peterg]

Weighing just 0.03 grams, the tiny Treskilling Yellow is thought to be the most valuable thing in existence by weight and volume.

It only survives today thanks to a 14-year-old Swedish schoolboy who rescued it from his grandmother's rubbish bin in 1885 and sold it onto a dealer for the lowly price of seven Kroner.

Now the stamp, which is being shown at London's Festival of Stamps until Saturday, will be auctioned off in Geneva next week.

The three-shilling stamp was first issued in Sweden in 1855 and used in 1857 to mail a letter.

It was printed in yellow by mistake, and should in fact have been green, which has served to make it extremely rare.

 

Anticipated selling price up to £5 million

 

Mis stamped Swan £3 million?

 

[Cob]

Very good Peter, a great story: as for the Swan, yes please!!!

 

C.

[Cob]

I'll give you 7 kroner for it. What? I've got to wait 150 years before the price can jump up.

Sorry: Sterling only accepted here!

 

C.