Parker 51 Argentina Gold Content of Cap

[dicks390]

Hello, just acquired 3 parker 51 aerometrics.  All have gold-colored caps.   Two were made in Argentina, and one in the US.  The problem I have is that the ones made in Argentina do not have the gold fill content hallmarked.  It just says Industria Argentina. I plan to restore and resell, so knowing the gold content would really help me in my listing.  Did Argentina not hallmark the gold fill content, could these be gold plated and not gold filled?  I believe they are gold filled, and if so, what level of gold fill do you think they are?  The US made pen is in the middle and is 12 K GF.  Based on the colors, I'm guessing the first pen on the left is 10k GF, and the last pen on the right is 16K GF, if they are gold filled.  I welcome your opinions/knowledge on this matter.

[Mr.Rene]

Hi Everyone,

I think it is gold plated but I am not sure.Nevertheless quality for gold Argentinian Parker pens are really poor...the same problem I have seen in some Argentinian Parker 45 pens.

Best Regards. 

[dicks390]

I did some further research and found this: 

Parker pen production in Argentina

Reprinted from the Journal of the Writing Equipment Society (UK), N° 69, Spring 2004

First model manufactured: Parker 51. In the time when company globalisation was not well developed, the big pen companies were forced to set up local manufacturing facilities to compete, thus avoiding high importation taxes and trade barriers. Only half a century after Parker opened their operations in Argentina, and as a result of successive company take-overs, the official company archives have been lost and the history has to be constructed through sales catalogues, collections and memories of pen business people. I should add that even less is known about trade marks from other Argentinian companies such as ‘Escritor’, ‘Muneca’, ‘303’, ‘Federal’ and the local affiliated company of Sheaffer.

Parker started its activities in Argentina in 1957/58 with the acquisition of ‘Birome’, founded by Lazlo Biro, through the company ‘Interim’ which was producing Super Quink ink.

Parker 51

The first pen manufactured by Parker in Argentina was the successful model ’51 Aniversario’ with the aerometric filling system. The 51 Vacumatic was never made in Argentina. The cylindrical ink reservoir was short and had an uncovered folded bar, similar to the ‘21’.
A short time later the models 51 ‘Custom’ (with gold filled cap) and ‘Insignia’ (gold filled cap and body) were introduced, and the reservoirs were modified successively; initially a cylindrical shape with a plastic black end was used and then a completely metal reservoir (with a window to access the filler bar). The inscription on the reservoir was ‘Parker 51, apriete la barra’ (press the bar) or ‘Parker, apriete la barra’ or a third option ‘Industria Argentina’.

 

This leads me to believe they were gold filled, not gold plated.

[joss]

Gold plating generally gives a more 'yellowish' coloured layer compared to gold fill-rolled gold.

 

From your pictures, I would judge that the pen on the right has gold plating. But the pen on the left seems to have a completely worn layer (colour looks like silver on my screen with traces of gold in the grooves and imprints). So maybe the colours in the pictures are a bit off.

 

If the layer of the Argentina pens was gold plated, I would expect serious loss of plating on such an old pen, especially on the venerable regions such as the cap lip and the zone where the clip point touches the surface of the cap. 

[dicks390]

8 hours ago, joss said:

Gold plating generally gives a more 'yellowish' coloured layer compared to gold fill-rolled gold.

 

From your pictures, I would judge that the pen on the right has gold plating. But the pen on the left seems to have a completely worn layer (colour looks like silver on my screen with traces of gold in the grooves and imprints). So maybe the colours in the pictures are a bit off.

 

If the layer of the Argentina pens was gold plated, I would expect serious loss of plating on such an old pen, especially on the venerable regions such as the cap lip and the zone where the clip point touches the surface of the cap. 

Thank you.  The one on the left is very light re the gold coloring, with heavier gold in certain spots, so it appears to be worn, or gold plated.  I have had and sold many gold-plated pens,  colored like all of the pens.  I looked at photos of some recent hallmarked USA made 16k GF Parker 51's I have sold recently, and the gold is not as yellow as the third pen.  However, for the one on the right, by color, you say it's plated, but re the wear test, it doesn't show any loss, so that would tend to say it's gold filled based on your comments, despite the color.  The first photo attached is an enhancement of the original and the second is a yellowish gold pen from Argentina sold by Peyton Street pens, a reputable dealer.  They just said it was gold filled from Argentina, with no words about the gold content.  Based on these photos, the third pen seems more like gold-filled?  Based on my rambling, do you think the third pen is still gold-plated, or gold-filled?  Thank you.

 

[dicks390]

Ernest Soler of Parker51.com advised that Argentinian gold caps are all gold plated.  OH well.

[Mr.Rene]

1 hour ago, dicks390 said:

Ernest Soler of Parker51.com advised that Argentinian gold caps are all gold plated.  OH well.

Happy to know I was right...

Regards.

[dicks390]

17 hours ago, Mr.Rene said:

Happy to know I was right...

Regards.

Yes you were.  I was, of course, hoping for a different answer.  There is much misinformation out there, where I have seen many reputable sellers on eBay and elsewhere, refer to these as Gold-Filled.  It seems they don't know the difference between the two, and there certainly is.

[dicks390]

17 hours ago, Mr.Rene said:

Happy to know I was right...

Regards.

Ah, do you know if Argentina used 14K gold nibs in the 51's, or were they gold plated as well?

[Mr.Rene]

9 hours ago, dicks390 said:

Ah, do you know if Argentina used 14K gold nibs in the 51's, or were they gold plated as well?

I´ve never seen Parker solid gold nibs made in Argentina. In fact,Mr. Ariel Kullock uses USA made nibs in some of his "Fantasy" Parker 51,

Best Regards.

[dicks390]

15 hours ago, Mr.Rene said:

I´ve never seen Parker solid gold nibs made in Argentina. In fact,Mr. Ariel Kullock uses USA made nibs in some of his "Fantasy" Parker 51,

Best Regards.

Yes, Ernesto confirmed the same and said".  I think all truly Argentinian-made nibs were gold plated.  A gold nib is only when it is a US-made one switched in.  I have not handled/taken apart enough Argentinian 51s to come up with a conclusive indication.  BUT, I have seen 14k marked and unmarked 51 nibs only for Canada, UK and US".  In the pens I got, one had a US made 14K nib, and another had all Argentinian parts, except for the cap, which was a US made 12K GF.  I also read that Argentina imported some parts initially, probably nibs and maybe caps.

 

What disturbs me is that sellers on eBay refer to the caps as gold-filled, including very reputable sellers.  And, they have sold for fairly competitive prices.  Even in past discussions on this forum, gold filled has been referenced.  Gold plating will wear off over time.  One of the pens I have has a few spots where it has worn off, and one, shown as the first photo above, most has worn off.

 

Thanks for your inputs.

 

Best regards,

 

Dick