Dating A Montblanc 146

[mlilley01]

Hi,

 

New here, hoping that someone will be able to help me.

 

I have recently been clearing out my fathers loft and have come across a pen set that I would like to know more about. Unfortunately I can no longer ask him about it. It is a Montblanc 146, it has the single coloured gold nib with 4810, a star with M in it, 14K, MONTBLANC and 585 engraved on it. On the middle ring on the cap it reads Montblanc Meisterstuck No 146, on the top ring it just says W.Germany. There is also a sticker on the barrel that says Made in W.Germany and M in the middle. The section of the barrel where you can see the ink is a blue/grey colour, and the ink fill is by a screw top 'piston'? style. There is no Pix engraved under the clip, and also there is no serial number on the top ring.

The pen is in a black case, with a velvet feel to it, with Mont Blanc 'pressed' in the top right hand corner, if you get my meaning. By that I mean its not 'written' on the case, or stuck on. The inside of the case is black, unlike every other box I can find anywhere on the net which are white, with a clip under the lid, which has a small booklet with unstructions, service and guarantee details.

With the pen set was a glass ink bottle, with the star on the lid and full of blue ink.

 

I dont know the history of the pen, ie when it was purchased or where from, so I'd be interested to know how I can date the pen. From searching wherever I can find on the net I can see that there was no Pix engraved on pre 1997 pens, and no serial numbers on pre 1991 pens, so I'm currently putting it at earlier than that. As the Germanys reunified in 1990, I'm guessing its earlier than that too.

 

So really my questions really are:

 

1. How can I find out the age of the pen?

2. I cant find another case with a black interior, has anyone else got one or could it be not authentic?

3. Is it likely to be worth keeping hold of as a collectable pen?

 

I'll try and get some photos to add later, I'm at work at present and the pens at home.

 

Thanks in advance for any insight you may be able to give me..

Edited July 5, 2011 by mlilley01

[osnofian]

Hi,

Welcome to FPN!

 

You are absolutely correct, it should be before 1989. It's probably a 70's or 80's pen. I very much doubt it will be fake (too much hassle to fake in comparison with more modern and pricey pens). It's not a particularly collectable pen, but it's quite a popular everyday writing pen for a lot of people (me included).

The lettering and ring shape will help distinguish the decade of the pen. Maybe others have more detailed knowledge of signs of particular vintages. (e.g. brass threads or plastic threads of the piston) but I don't know the crucial dates for this transition.

 

Hope it helps!

[hari317]

since it says w. germany on the clip, i think it is from 80s. the earlier pens had just germany on clip and also the post unification pens. the filler threads, are they brass or plastic? you can see the threads when you open the filler knob ar rear a few turns.

 

btw your pen is genuine, mb put serial numbes etc from the 90s only. congratulations!

Edited July 5, 2011 by hari317

[hari317]

...

Edited July 5, 2011 by hari317

[mlilley01]

Thanks for the welcome, and for the quick replies!

 

I'm fairly certain from looking at the pen last night that the filler threads are plastic, I'll check tonight, but pretty sure they are.

[hari317]

the pens with the plastic filler threads are slightly lighter and i personally prefer the lighter pens. the 146 is a very nice pen and make good keepers.

 

best

hari

[mlilley01]

This is the pen in question

 

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1575.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1568.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1562.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1560.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1565.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1569.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1566.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1573.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1567.jpg

 

 

Thanks

[hari317]

Wow! I have an identical never inked 146 with identical velvet box and papers, the original owner had bought it in early 80s in France. My pen's papers are in French only, are yours multilingual?

[mlilley01]

Wow! I have an identical never inked 146 with identical velvet box and papers, the original owner had bought it in early 80s in France. My pen's papers are in French only, are yours multilingual?

 

Yes, the papers are in 2 languages, I'll have to add later which other language, but the 2nd one is English.

[hari317]

I just took my pen out to check. The booklet with my pen has 31 pages. Three languages: French, Portugese and Italian. Used google translate to determine from GARANTIE, GARANTIA, GARANZIA.

 

Best

Hari

Edited July 6, 2011 by hari317

[mlilley01]

I just took my pen out to check. The booklet with my pen has 31 pages. Three languages: French, Portugese and Italian. Used google translate to determine from GARANTIE, GARANTIA, GARANZIA.

 

Best

Hari

 

The second little booklet (behind the guarantee booklet) is in German and English, and advertising the NEW rollerball if thats any clue...

[hari317]

 

The second little booklet (behind the guarantee booklet) is in German and English, and advertising the NEW rollerball if thats any clue...

 

Interesting, can you pls take some pics of the booklet and what's in it, it will be a good reference.

[Makar]

What a lovely and 'complete' attic find! My mother and father were of the mind to throw out any 'old' things that they didn't use. Well done you - and your dad

 

Stephen

 

Edited to add (in reply to your questions) - Hari has given you the answers to your first two. As to the last question - yes, it is a nice collectable pen and appears to very lightly used which helps any current or future value. Only you would know whether you wanted to keep it - that may be partly about sentimental value of course, difficult to quantify other than by yourself. Current value at auction probably between £170 and £230 - I would expect nearer the top end. There are a lot of MB 146s out there - long term investment potential is probably not brilliant but I don't think the price will go down. A very nice pen indeed.

Edited July 6, 2011 by Makar

[mlilley01]

 

The second little booklet (behind the guarantee booklet) is in German and English, and advertising the NEW rollerball if thats any clue...

 

Interesting, can you pls take some pics of the booklet and what's in it, it will be a good reference.

 

Here we go, heres the 2 booklets. The Guarantee booklet is 31 pages long, in 3 languages, German, English and Chinese(?), the other is in 5 languages.....

 

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1576.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1577.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1580.jpg

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr163/mlilley01/pen/IMG_1578.jpg

 

Looking at the rollerball advert/booklet, I think this is an added extra as it says "The rollerball you are holding" in the opening line... and this isnt with a rollerball, so I'm assuming its an added extra!

[meiers]

Quite lovely! I bought one like this one though in a B nib a few months ago from Tom Westerich.... an outstanding pen dealer.

Are you interested in selling it?

[mlilley01]

Quite lovely! I bought one like this one though in a B nib a few months ago from Tom Westerich.... an outstanding pen dealer.

Are you interested in selling it?

 

Yes, it is very nice, and quite a find indeed.

 

And thanks for the advice Matt

[hari317]

Thanks for posting pictures of the rollerball advt. I have no idea about the year when MB RBs were introduced.

 

Best

Hari

[mlilley01]

Out of interest, do many people from here buy from eBay? I think I probably will sell it, and have contacted dealers like Tom Westerich and Bryant, obviously I can't sell in the Classifieds as I am a new member, so it really only leaves dealers or eBay. What would and members here do in my position?

[osnofian]

eBay is a weird place for pens. And if you don't have an account there already with some sales and/or never sold a pen before, I would expect you not to get a good value for it. (I certainly don't bid high on those situations. I'm sure I wouldn't sell it at all if I was in your position, but if you want to sell it, why not browse around for a bit, learn more about it and when you have the required time/number of posts sell it here.

[Makar]

As Osnofian states, eBay will probably provide you with the lower end of the values I suggested earlier, if you have little or no history (feedback) there.

 

Most of my collection is via eBay.

 

thanks

Stephen