Collectables: Make your mark with a classic Parker

Published on Wednesday 3 June 2009 13:52

Arguably the most famous pen from the world's most famous pen manufacturer, the Parker 51 was hugely popular from the 1940s to the early 1970s.

Advertised as the "pen from another planet", the revolutionary Parker 51 resembled a streamlined jetfighter without wings. With a barrel made from Lucite, the material used for turrets and noses on Second World War bombers, it was resistant to the decaying effects of Parker's new fast-drying Quink ink.

Research on the model concluded in 1939: Parker's 51st anniversary, and the new pen was therefore called the 51. By giving the pen a number instead of a name, Parker avoided the problem of translating a name into other languages. The 51 was released in 1941.

Early 51s had the same piston and rubber-diaphragm filling mechanism as the Parker Vacumatic, which had been popular during the 1930s. Aerometric-filling 51s were introduced by 1948. In these pens a transparent Pli-Glass (durable plastic) sac was enclosed in a metal tube, with a metal pressure bar across an exposed section. The user had to merely press down on the bar to fill the pen.

Production of the 51 ceased in 1978, but it remained popular with consumers and in 2002 Parker issued a look-alike model, called the 51 Special Edition.

Over the years, more than 40 million Parker 51s have been sold. This means that used vintage examples can be found for as little as 10 to 30.

• Judith Miller is the author of the annual Miller's Antiques and Collectables Price Guides. www.millersantiquesguide.com