Antique WATERMAN Solid 14KT Gold Clip-Cap 0512 Gold Overlay Full-Sized Eyedropper Fountain Pen PAT.SEP.26,05 Retail 75,000

Antique waterman solid 14kt gold. One of the rarest eyedropper fountain pen in the world.

Less than a handful made. On side of cap 14kt. On barrel waterman ideal fountain pen.

Barrel does not have the 14kt inscription but tested to be solid 14kt gold. On end of barrel engraved: 0512. It's difficult to make out the last number even under loup but likely a 2. No breaks, no scratches, no dents and no dings.

The only flaw is loss of detail to overlay at the name-plate as it appears name been previously removed. "Waterman ideal new york 2". One of the rarest waterman in the world.

Brief history of waterman pen company. Waterman received a patent for his fountain pen feed in 1884 and the l. Waterman pen company was born. The first pens were made of black hard rubber and had simple eye dropper filling system.

Waterman aggressively advertised their pens and the company grew rapidly. By the end of the century pens were being produced with fancy metal overlays, red hard rubber, and mottled red and black hard rubber.

There are some truly outstanding pens from this period. Hard rubber pens decreased in popularity with the introduction of plastic pens in 1924. Waterman finally introduced plastic pens in 1929. The depression hurt the company but it was the introduction of ballpoint pens that finally did them in.

The american branch of waterman closed in 1958. Production still continues in france. Eyedropper - 1884 to 1928. Pump filler (1st style) - 1899.

Pump filling (2nd style) - 1903 to 1926. Safety pen - 1907 to 1940s. Sleeve filler - 1910 to 1915. Coin filler - 1913 to 1914.

Lever filler 1915 to 1955. Ink-vue filler 1935 to 1940. Cartridge filler - 1936 to present.

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