Meisterstuck Sterling 75Th Anniversary & Legrand Solitaire 144 / 146 Counterfeits

[darwens]

Relative newby here, apologies if this is posted in the wrong spot. I've read a lot about detecting fraudulent Mont Blanc postings and pens on this site, but I think as more of such postings are available the smarter the counterfeiters become! I'm looking at a few pens right now from online sellers (mostly eBay and some antique sites) and am really concerned that nearly every one is a fake. These are not cheap pens, with asking prices in the high hundreds to low thousands for some of them, but every one has some suspicious elements... However, I've not been able to find postings here that address some of the details I'm curious to get some group input on. Apologies for the volume of questions but I'm hoping to start piecing this information together before I make some purchases. Attached are a couple of photos of things I believe are questionable.

 

The pens I'm looking at are 1) the 75th Anniversary sterling silver 144 & 146 Barley with rose gold, 2) the Meisterstuck 146 Legrand sterling silver barley AND pin stripe Solitaire, 3) Meisterstuck sterling silver Solitaire 144 in barley. All pens are sterling silver on both cap and body. Can anybody help with the following?:

 

1. Is the number 925 always stamped on all of these models rather than engraved? I've seen pictures of what appears to be both on various sites.

2. Is the "Ag" insignia always associated with the presence of the number 925? I'm seeing inconsistencies across the lines, and even between pens in a line - is it only the 75th Anniversary that has "Ag 925"?

3. Should the number font - specifically the "9" in the "1924" stamped on the body of the 75th Anniversary addition - be identical to the font on the "Ag 925" stamp? (this is not the case on one I'm looking at)

4. Is a serial number universally included on all these pens from MB, or have SNs ever been "optional" for some lines based on "dealer preference" (I'm being told this by one seller)

5. Have you ever seen a serial number or "W. Germany" stamp on the clip band that was NOT perfectly centered in the band, but instead riding just above the bottom line of the band (but still straight)? This is the case with one of the Legrand 146 pin stripes I'm looking at

6. I've read here that every MB pen in precious metal has "METAL" stamped on the clip band, does this also apply to every pen line I'm looking at?

 

Thank you so much for any help!!

 

 

Edited February 21, 2016 by darwens