AURORA 88 Boxes A mistery Revelated...

[sanpei]

No really mystery here, I wish just talk about Alu boxes of early Aurora 88 models

 

Firsts were in natural Al for Nickargenta caps

after introducing GF caps, same box but with label showing the pen with GF cap.

 

Second were a bit longer, Al for Nik cap, blue for GF cap, RED for all GF pens.

 

Sets were sold in bigger tubes, Al, GOLDEN, or PINK

 

Rarely pencils were sold without pens, but them have their own box same but shorter.

 

18K solid gold 88 were sold in RED tubes, with thick solid silver band,

and liner in blue velvet, when in normal 88 tubes there wasn't liner.

 

A choice of 17 different nibs each in two flexibilities was available,

size of nib in ealy models was not stamped on section as in 88K and 88P

but a code based on colour circles on boxes and turing knobs was created to indicate nibs sizes,

will talk about this next time.

 

S

 

 

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/5n7j1g.jpg

 

http://i44.tinypic.com/2wc45ts.jpg

 

http://i40.tinypic.com/ng7fra.jpg

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/2uras5v.jpg

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/20h1vz5.jpg

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/2uz6vki.jpg

[diplomat]

Wow! I was waiting for this! Amazing.

 

So: I understand from your words that originally the 88 was introduced w/Nikargenta caps only and GF caps were introduced in a second period? This means that the lower number 88 should be all Nika. Do you know when approx the GF caps were introduced?

 

I am eagerly waiting for the explanation of the nib colour-codes...

 

p.s. when you originally told me about the "tubi" I was really scratching my head to find out where the hell those tubi could possibly were in the 88... now I see! :embarrassed_smile:

 

Ciao.

 

 

 

[Dib]

Great!

Thanks for the informations.

My early box (same as the second left) came with a pen with a serialnumber below 100.000 (I think it was 80.000). Has the first version of the box a serial number on it?

[sanpei]

Great!

Thanks for the informations.

My early box (same as the second left) came with a pen with a serialnumber below 100.000 (I think it was 80.000). Has the first version of the box a serial number on it?

 

Serial numbers were on section and on warranty paper only.

 

I do have an 88 with GF cap numbered 6733

that means GF caps were introdoced shortly after Nik ones, few monts later,

perhaps in the beginnig of 1948, but I don't know for sure.

 

S

[Dib]

6733 !! Fantastic!

I asked Cesare Verona some years ago if the serial numbers began with #1 and he did not knew exactly.

[diplomat]

Thanks S!

 

I'm waiting for the colour codes.

Another question: I seem to have an 88 which has a turning knob which is more "stout" (compared to the slender models we know) and made of celluloid instead of hard rubber. Does it make sense to you? A later replacement? The serial # is on the 980K range.

 

Thanks for the info and ciao.

 

Andre

[sanpei]

I don't know (and actually no one from Aurora knows exactly)

why was called "88"???

Can someone help us?

 

Turing knobs, nibs and clips are the pieces more delicate,

and subject to cracks using the pen,

I quite sure in your 88 was a later replacement.

 

S

Edited February 18, 2009 by sanpei

[diplomat]

I don't know (and actually no one from Aurora knows exactly)

why was called "88"???

Can someone help us?

 

I thought about this riddle for a couple of nights. And I made some research on the founder (jeez, was a mean man!) and other Aurora facts. But nothing.

 

Finally now I have my answer:

• First of all, their reference were the Parker 51 and the Pelikan 100N, the two pens were in their heyday at times. And the 88 is actually a mix of the two: design from Parker and technology from Pelikan. Thus they were looking for a number (possibly in between 51 and 100, I tried several calculations with those two numbers but that lead to nothing);
• So, like 51 and 100, my guess is that 88 is a reference to the Aurora year of foundation (in Parker and Pelikan the two numbers represent the number of years between company foundation and product creation);
• Aurora was founded in 1919. 19 and 19, two equal numbers. if you subtract 1 from 9 you get 8. Hence 88;

 

What do you guys say? Does it make sense?

 

Cheers,

Edited February 20, 2009 by diplomat

[sanpei]

Not bad but :hmm1:

 

S

[diplomat]

Not bad but :hmm1:

 

S

 

C'mon don't tease us, do tell your story.

 

I am sure you have one. Or at least a theory... a dream..?

[Dib]

now I checked my 88 box. It is for #80684 and in italian and english. The guarantee voucher is in french and english, the pen is sold 18. feb. 1949, perhaps in Belgium.

[sanpei]

Not bad but :hmm1:

 

S

 

C'mon don't tease us, do tell your story.

 

I am sure you have one. Or at least a theory... a dream..?

 

 

1) Mr LE Waterman factory birth tribute1884 :hmm1:

 

2) The age of Isaia Levi Aurora founder? (no more owner but a tribute) :hmm1:

 

3) No meaning, simply 88 is a number easy to remenber, and palindromic as OLO :hmm1:

 

4) The son (or daughter) of Aurora president was involved in a car crash,

and his (or her) car was stopped by a curbstone before fall in a clif.

Who guess what a number was engraved in that cubstone???

 

Last one, is a tale I heared more one time,

is true? I don't know, but as legend not bad at all.

S

[diplomat]

1) Mr LE Waterman factory birth tribute1884 :hmm1:

 

That would be weird. Why Waterman?

 

2) The age of Isaia Levi Aurora founder? (no more owner but a tribute) :hmm1:

 

I like this. But nope: Mr. Levi was born in 1863, thus he was 84 in 1947.

btw: when Isaia Levi sold Aurora? and to who?

 

3) No meaning, simply 88 is a number easy to remenber, and palindromic as OLO :hmm1:

 

That would be disappointing... hopefully is not this one!

 

4) The son (or daughter) of Aurora president was involved in a car crash,

and his (or her) car was stopped by a curbstone before fall in a clif.

Who guess what a number was engraved in that cubstone???

 

Last one, is a tale I heared more one time,

is true? I don't know, but as legend not bad at all.

S

 

Uh, the last one is... interesting. I wonder if it is possible to verify it, or at least if it's possible to not to find a Popperian counter-fact.

But ok. I'll tell this one to friends in the pub.

 

Ciao and buon week end.

 

Andre

 

 

 

[sanpei]

I think Mr Levi passed away before 1947,

Aurora was sold at Verona family on sixties,

until that moment was owned by I. Levi's parents.

 

Why LE Waterman?

Because he was the first!

 

S

Edited February 21, 2009 by sanpei

[diplomat]

I think Mr Levi passed away before 1947,

Aurora was sold at Verona family on sixties,

until that moment was owned by I. Levi's parents.

 

He died on 1949: http://notes9.senato.it/Web/senregno.NSF/4...43?OpenDocument

 

From your previous post I was led to think that Aurora left the Levi family before the 88:

 

2) The age of Isaia Levi Aurora founder? (no more owner but a tribute)

 

So then the supposedly Aurora president kid that survived the car accident was a Levi? I think we can work out the evidences!

 

 

[Dib]

perhaps the name 88 came from Nizzoli?

A few years later he designed a "Lettera 22"

Edited February 22, 2009 by Dib

[zabo]

perhaps the name 88 came from Nizzoli?

A few years later he designed a "Lettera 22"

 

!Not only!,

besides Aurora 88 (1947), he designed: Lexikon 80 (1948), Divisumma 14 (1948), Lettera 22 (1950), Studio 44 (1952), Divisumma 24 (1956), Lettera 32 (1963).

All these are typewriters and desk calculators from Olivetti (a famous italian office supplies' manufacturer).

 

If I got it well Isaia Levi (founder of Aurora) had some to do also with Olivetti (and Zanichelli too).

 

Regarding Isaia Levi's family I understand that a daughter died, but don't know in which circumstances.

However that was long before 1947, since when Levi died he left in inheritance to the Pope the house called Villa Giorgina (from the name of the daughter), which is the actual see of the Apostolic Nunciature.

 

Just my dime...

Edited February 23, 2009 by zabo