Vintage Sheaffer Made in Australia

[kissing]

Hi all, it has been a long time since I've posted here.
I guess over the last few years I've just been busy with work & had been more of a practcal fountain pen user rather than a collector or enthusiast 😅

I am based in Australia and when visiting a rural town (Wangaratta) found this old Sheaffer at an antique shop.
It appears to be new old stock and never inked (though the gold surface of the nib somehow looks a bit tarnished?).

 

The nib has "14K Aust" and on the pen barrel is "Made in Australia", which surprised me because I didn't know Sheaffer manufactured fountain pens in Australia once upon a time.

I'd gather this is the "Touchdown" filling system.

 

Other than that I don't know much about Sheaffers.
But I'm sure there are people here who could identify what model this is and share a bit about its history.
So if you could help with some info it would be highly appreciated

 

 

[Mercian]

Hi,

your pen appears to be a Sheaffer 'Imperial IV' in Black, with Gold Trim:

https://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial and Triumph/1350TD-ImpIV Black GT.html

(There are links on that page to larger pictures.)

 

That website (which is run/owned by a British fan) has a full reference list for all the Imperial/Triumph models, at:
https://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial and Triumph/Imp Triumph Ref List.html

 

For a model history that gives some indication of what era your pen dates to, your could read:
https://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial and Triumph/Imperial Write Up.html

 

As for Australian manufacture, I know that Sheaffer did have a factory in Australia for a good long while - which they did in order to bypass high Aussie import taxes.
I remember reading somewhere that most parts were manufactured in the USA, but then shipped over to Australia for final assembly and 'finishing' - enough work to make the pens qualify as being 'Made in Australia'.

That said, the imprints on the nibs suggest to me that the nibs must have been made Down Under too.

I have seen e.g. Sterling Silver Imperials for sale with 'Made in Australia' markings on their bodies & nibs.

 

More information about Sheaffer in Australia can be found in this ↓ old thread:

 

Slàinte,
M.

[kissing]

11 hours ago, Mercian said:

Hi,

your pen appears to be a Sheaffer 'Imperial IV' in Black, with Gold Trim:

https://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial and Triumph/1350TD-ImpIV Black GT.html

(There are links on that page to larger pictures.)

 

That website (which is run/owned by a British fan) has a full reference list for all the Imperial/Triumph models, at:
https://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial and Triumph/Imp Triumph Ref List.html

 

For a model history that gives some indication of what era your pen dates to, your could read:
https://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial and Triumph/Imperial Write Up.html

 

As for Australian manufacture, I know that Sheaffer did have a factory in Australia for a good long while - which they did in order to bypass high Aussie import taxes.
I remember reading somewhere that most parts were manufactured in the USA, but then shipped over to Australia for final assembly and 'finishing' - enough work to make the pens qualify as being 'Made in Australia'.

That said, the imprints on the nibs suggest to me that the nibs must have been made Down Under too.

I have seen e.g. Sterling Silver Imperials for sale with 'Made in Australia' markings on their bodies & nibs.

 

More information about Sheaffer in Australia can be found in this ↓ old thread:

 

Slàinte,
M.

Thank you, this is extremely helpful!