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Message:: [QUOTE="Shangas, post: 10263232, member: 360"]This pen is a Parker Vacumatic from the 1930s. Originally called the "Vacuum-Fil". It was supposed to be Parker's top-of-the-line pen after the Duofold of the 1920s. The nib will almost certainly be 14kt gold. They were hardly ever made of anything else. Price varies enormously on condition. There's literally dozens of things that pen-collectors pick and fiddle over. Condition of the nib,Nib-width,Filling-mechanism,Functionality,Cosmetics,Age, Model,Completeness, Condition of box and/or papers (if present). Condition of the plating. How well / when the pen was restored (if ever). Who made the pen, when, where, how, and why? (yes, each of those individual bits matter). The list goes on and on and on and on. A pen of this vintage will be the better part of 80-90 years old. Unlikely to still be working, if it hasn't been maintained properly, but they can be restored to working condition if you can find a decent technician (shop around -- there's a few of them here and there). Test the pen with COLD water to see if it works. Stick it in, and then pump the piston up and down a couple of times. If it does work, you should see bubbles coming out and water being drawn in, although after all this time, the seals etc, have probably perished.[/QUOTE]