Bonhams & Butterfields, will offer vintage pens in the United States on February 22, 2011 during the Fine Writing Instruments auction. Timed to coincide with the annual Los Angeles International Pen Show, the auction will feature examples from several of the major collecting categories including rarely seen pens and models close to 100 years old.
The spring auction contains more than 440 lots of exceptional writing instruments including an extraordinary selection of vintage pens from major manufacturers such as Parker and Waterman, several of which are rarely offered on the open market. A strong selection of modern writing instruments from Montblanc, OMAS, Namiki and Pelikan, will also be featured during the sale.
In addition to the preview at Bonhams & Butterfields’ Sunset Boulevard galleries on February 18-20, select highlights will also be on display at the Los Angeles International Pen Show in Manhattan Beach, California on February 19-20.
“The February sale is undoubtedly one of the most well rounded offerings of vintage writing instruments to be featured at public auction in offered in recent years. It will bring together some of the finest examples of refined vintage and modern craftsmanship by the leading makers,” said Rick Propas, Fine Pens Consultant Specialist, Bonhams & Butterfields.
Vintage highlights include Parker series 15, 16, 38 and 47 such as a 47 Pregnant Lucky Curve Fountain Pen (est. $6,000-8,000) and a 38 Snake Lucky Curve Fountain Pen (est. $6,000-8,000) as well as a selection of Black Giants and vintage Duofolds. Also within the Parker series is a Vacumatic Vac Band set, in original bakelite “coffin” box and near mint condition (est. $1,800-2,000) and a number of pens from the Double Jewel 51 series featuring Empire State, Heirloom and Heritage caps.
Among the vintage Waterman writing instruments are a number of classic early overlays in the Chased, Patch, Continental Overlay and Golpheresque patterns, to name a few. Even more extraordinary is that many are as close to perfect as 90-100 year old pens can possibly be and select lots boast original stickers. Waterman pens of note include a ca. 1910 fountain pen number 20 with red mottled hard rubber slip-cap (est. $7,000-9,000) and a 402 Golpheresque Sterling Overlay Fountain Pen (est. $1,500-2,500).
Also included in the vintage writing instruments section of the February sale are pens from Aiken-Lambert, Carters, Chilton, Conklin, Moore, Swan, Wahl-Eversharp as well as a grouping of rarely seen French pens from various makers (est. $10,000-15,000).
Modern pens of note include the eleven piece Omaggio ad Armando Simoni Collection of OMAS writing instruments (est. $10,000-12,000), an OMAS Limited Edition Las Vegas Fountain Pen (est. $4,000-6,000), a Montblanc Lorenzo de Medici Patron of the Arts Limited Edition Fountain Pen (est. $3,000-4,000) and a Montblanc Year of the Golden Dragon Limited Edition Fountain Pen (est. $2,000-2,500), among others.
The illustrated catalog for this sale will be available online for review and purchase at www.bonhams.com/us in the weeks preceding the sale.
Highlight Preview: February 19-20, 2011 at the Los Angeles International Pen Show in Manhattan Beach, CA
Los Angeles Preview: February 18-20, 2011, at Bonhams & Butterfields
Auction: February 22, 2011, Los Angeles
www.bonhams.com/pens