I’ve had this curious Mercurius pen for some time. Neither my various reference books nor Google give any help in identifying the pen: who made it, in which country and which decade. It is an exceptionally beautiful pen though not of the first rank.
The barrel is octagonal, narrowing to a cylinder, an unusual and perhaps unique design. The russet, green and pale brown celluloid is beautiful and I haven’t seen it used elsewhere. The clip, with its roller, may have been gold plated but like the cap bands, no longer is. The clip is a little loose. The top of the cap and the end of the barrel are closed with black discs.
The pen is a button filler and the blind cap is exceptionally well fitted. Unfortunately the pen came to me without a nib. The original nib may have given a clue to the pen’s origin. I have fitted a warranted gold one.
Has anyone come across this brand before? I would welcome any ideas.
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I saw one with an octagonal barrel at auction a couple of years ago.
Take a look at page 199 of Lambrou’s Fountain Pens. Could it be Italian and a Columbus ? Like the Extra c. 1938 in Lambrou? The one in Lambrou’s picture has three cap rings BUT it does have the roller on the clip which is pretty distinctive.
I take your point. The roller clip and octagonal shape seem too great similarities to be coincidence.
It was the octagonal barrel that made me think Italian. Omas used it as well. The roller clip seems unique.
Hi.
Mecurius is listed in Lelizia Jacopini’s wonderful book “The History of the Italian Fountain Pen” as
“A range of basic fountain pens with chrome-plated trim and steel nibs, probably made in Settimo Torinese in the late thirties/early forties”
I hope this is of some help
That’s great. Thank you very much.