Did Cross Use 14K Solid Gold Internal Mechanisms On Their Vintage Ballpoint Pens?

[spectrrr]

Shortened question:
Do some Cross vintage pens have solid gold internal twist mechanisms also?

 

 

Longer story:
I’m preparing a vintage cross 14k solid gold pen and pencil set for sale on feebay, and trying to determine a baseline minimum value. Like *most* things collectible, I expect the collectible value of the set to far exceed the value of the raw materials. But I need to start there, and at least know what the melt value is.

 

I gently (yes, gently, without marring the surface) unscrewed the tip and took it apart, to try and get a rough guess as to gold weight. But what caught my eye is that the INTERNAL twist mechanism looks like it’s made of solid gold too??

 

I tried to do some research on eBay, but most of the solid gold cross pen listings do not show images of the pen uncapped, and the one listing that does show the pen uncapped clearly shows cheap chrome internals (but the pen looks newer, and I know their quality has gone downhill).

 

I’m new to vintage pens, and hoping that perhaps someone here has the answer, without having to do further testing.

[pajaro]

Brass? How do you think gold would hold up?

[spectrrr]

Brass? How do you think gold would hold up?

 

I imagine it would hold up rather poorly, hence my puzzlement.

 

But, the coloration is a pretty close match, so, I'm hoping someone has the definitive answer born from experience

[Freddy]

Hallmark{s}.....

 

CROSS in script..block...?..................on Clip........

 

 

Anyway....Welcome aboard. Enjoy your time here.

 

Fred

[spectrrr]

 

I imagine it would hold up rather poorly, hence my puzzlement.

 

But, the coloration is a pretty close match, so, I'm hoping someone has the definitive answer born from experience

 

I just circled back around here, not sure that's giving off the right tone. Apologies if anyone reads it passive aggressively, it was not intended as such!

[Ron Z]

It is either brass, or could be gold plated brass. Gold itself is much too soft a metal, not to mention far too expensive, to be used for something like a mechanism housing. It would wear very quickly, and would be quite unreliable. The 14K overlays on pens and bodies of 14K pens are relatively thin, and often have something inside to support the metal. The barrel of a Sheaffer Masterpiece for instance has a barrel liner, as does the cap.

[spectrrr]

Hallmark{s}.....

 

CROSS in script..block...?..................on Clip........

 

 

Anyway....Welcome aboard. Enjoy your time here.

 

Fred

 

Thanks Fred, these hobbies have a way of pulling you in... and last I heard, ya'll have a reputation for being enablers, hehe

 

 

here's some more info:

 

On the cap:

CROSS

14K-GOLD

MADE IN U.S.A

 

On the clip:

14K

 

No marks that I could find on the sleeve or the internals.

 

Warranty card is marked 1967

 

Pictures of the set below:

[pajaro]

That was their deluxe pen. A lot of pens use brass internals, and there is a good likelihood the mechanism is brass or maybe brass plated.

[spectrrr]

OK, so likely brass internals it is then!

 

Freddy, Ron, Pajazro, thank you kindly for the expert input

Edited July 25, 2017 by spectrrr