Parker Limited Prestige Range

[holyjoe90]

Hi,

 

Have uncovered more treasures from my Grandad's collection.

 

Parker's 'Limited Prestige Range' was developed around 1982, at the same time the 'Arrow' model was introduced. The 'LPR' is extremely rare and only 1000 were manufactured and were never seriously launched probably because of very high production costs.

 

It is also possible that Parker realised there would be market resistance to a premium priced solid gold 'LPR' pen that appeared to be just another version of the 'Arrow' pen, and decided to concentrate on the 'Premier' which was also in development in the early 1980s. This unashamedly upmarket pen range was launched in 1983, and came to include 18-carat gold Presidential models.

 

Stuart Devlin, designer of the textured exterior of the 'LPR' ranks as one of the great contemporary gold andsilversmiths, and his workshop in Littlehampton was conviently close to Parker's Newhaven factory. Born in Australia in 1931 and awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, London in 1958, he was responsible for designing the new Australian decimal coinage in 1963.

 

In the 1960s and 1970s Devlin was one of several silversmiths disenchanted with designing anonymously for big manufacturing firms, which were in decline, and who set out on their own, focused on their own style and had a personal commitment to the marketing of their own productions. This lead to a renaissance in the designer-goldsmith and, for Devlin, a Royal warrant of appointment as Goldsmith and Jeweller to Her Majesty the Queen.

 

Devlin was responsible for the exterior design of the prototype, and the engraving of all production models of the 'LPR' took place in his workshop. These are all 18-carat gold (with the exception of the clip spring) and are an inspired reinterpretation of both Scandinavian silversmithing and the Arts and Crafts movement.

 

Here are the Brass Prototypes on the Fountain and Ball Pen, made by Stuart Devlin.

 

The brass prototypes were produced to show the finish and final design of the product. Both cap and barrel have a series of circular spots within a slight 'panel' which indicates where the hallmarks would be placed. However these pre-production prototypes do not have the small raised panel (presumably for engraving the edition number) next to the cap hallmark found on the gold production model.

 

Here you can see the template for the hallmarks on the brass prototype.

 

Here you can see the hallmarks and small raised panel for edition number on the 18-carat production ball pen.

 

Unfortunately the clip has come off the gold production model, but hopefully I will get this repaired.

 

Anyway that is all, just thought people might like to see and find out a bit about this range of pens.

 

Many Thanks.

 

Joe

[baz666]

Hi Joe

 

These are awesome and that is a word I very rarely use.

If you ever consider letting them go.....

 

Regards

Paul.

[PenFan95]

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