Novelty Samson Morden & Co. Pen with 'Christie' Engraving

Hi there,

Hoping someone might be able to give me some insight into this piece.

My mum gave this to me, she's loads of interesting pieces she's inherited from various family members. Curiously it has 'Christie' engraved on it in the style of Agatha Christie's signature. I've been trying to do some research to find out if there's any real connection but it still remains a mystery! Does anyone know how to replace the lead or ink so I can actually use it? It's in great condition, but I can't find much info about these online. Thanks!

 

I have seen antique propelling pencils made by Marden. Comparing specimens of Agatha's signature shown on line, do not think this one is hers, just the same name written by someone who learned the same style of penmanship. Saw no sample of the author's signature where the cross stroke of the T missed completely; the lower case 'r's are also different.

Correction: Mordan. Further correction: Sampson Mordan.

 

Worth exploring.

 

You need a decent pen shop. Are you anywhere near London?

 

Any good engraver could copy a signature,many things have been copied/reproduced over the years.Some people will do anything for money.

 

What you have there is a propelling pencil made by the famed company of SAMPSON MORDAN & CO, which were a thing in London until 1941...when a German bomb destroyed their factory.

They use a type of lead which you can't get anymore, unfortunately (or at least, not easily, unless you make it yourself).

It doesn't have a pen-point ferrule on it, so you can't use it as a pen, only a pencil. And only if you can find the lead. Which is going to be bloody hard because nobody's made it in the better part of 100 years.

On the other hand, being Sampson Mordan & Co, it's highly likely that this thing is solid sterling silver. So...there's that, I guess...?

 

Wow!

Thank you so much everybody for all your insights! Yes it is sterling silver, and the sliding mechanism for the nibs is still super smooth. Shame I can't replace the pencils, but I still love it! So if the lead hasn't been made in over a hundred years, does this mean this piece is turn of the century or possibly older? I did do some research on line, it's not as ornate as the Victorian ones but those were the only ones i could see in the double 'proppelling pencil' style.

 

If you have hallmarks on the silver, you'll be able to date it precisely, but not all of SM&Co's pens and pencils were hallmarked (I have one made by them, which wasn't. It just says 'STERLING' on the side).

The majority of their propelling pencils date to the 1800s and some were still made in the early 1900s, but the lead to make them work hasn't been made in decades. I wouldn't even know where you'd even try to buy some. I have a friend who is a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE collector of these things (she has literally HUNDREDS of them), and she's been struggling for YEARS to get hers hands on some lead, and it simply doesn't exist anymore.

 

that's really interesting! I did bring it into a specialist shop and the shop attendant couldn't tell me anything other than, we don't stock the sort of lead you need for that! Didn't realise it could be that old!

It's got a proper hallmark and says S. Mordan & Co Sterling Silver on it, but nothing else. I'll check it out! Thanks for all your help

 

A proper set of English hallmarks is a series of four (or five, depending on age) little stamps hammered into the silver.

A Lion (Sterling silver)
A Leopard's Head (for London, indicating office of assay. Most Mordan stuff was marked in London)
A maker's mark (S.M., or SM&Co, for Sampson Mordan /&Co, depending on age).
A letter (date-letter).

If it's REALLY old (pre1890), then it may also have a monarch's head, indicating silver tax.

 

Small point. You do get monarch heads after 1890 for certain commemorative years.

 

Yes, they're special commemorative hallmarks. I'm talking about the duty mark.

 

I used to own a Sampson Mordan & Co inkwell, one of the nicest antiques I ever owned.

 

luv the purple...

 

rotring has 1mm leads

 

That's beautiful!!!!

 

Strangely, no hallmarks, just S.Mordan & Co. Sterling Silver! Does this indicate a certain era?

 

Probably, but I don't know enough to be certain of anything.