When Was This V20 14Kt Pen Produced?

[Bob456]

Hi would anyone be able to identify when this v20 14kt pen was produced? Came across it during a clear out of a relatives home and it has never been used

 

Thanks

[Bob456]

*1/20

[Jerome Tarshis]

You have what many people would consider to be the iconic Cross product. It is the Century ballpoint pen, first manufactured in the middle 1950s and still manufactured today.

 

The general design is a little older, though. It dates back to 1946, when Cross introduced the Century mechanical pencil. It looked pretty much the same as the ballpoint pen, and was called the Century because it came out 100 years after the company's founding, in 1846.

 

The matching fountain pen, which is not, alas, still in production today, was introduced in 1982 in the company's foreign markets and in 1984 in the American (or domestic) market. I own half a dozen of them, and one of the ballpoint pens.

[Florida Blue]

Jerome is right that it is a Century ballpoint pen. The "1/20 14kt" etched onto the top of the cap is the gold content. This is one of the gold filled models. I've seen a lot of these pens at flea markets and garage sales and based on the packaging I'm thinking it was made in the 1960s.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Florida Blue