Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 287

Today we're shining a spotlight on another great vintage Sheaffer desk set acquired by Stuart!

(all photos courtesy of Stuart ~ please click on images to enlarge)

Stuart: "This is the mystery thing I was teasing about - it arrived this afternoon after only five days! If you remember the Sheaffer desk-set I got last year, with a bronze base and a slot for mail, this is by the same maker - Silver Crest, a famous producer of decorative bronze items."

"The pen-holder gives this one away as another Sheaffer item. From the little info I found online, it seems these Silver Crest ones were sold through dealers that sold their things, and not through Sheaffer’s usual outlets. That may not be strictly accurate, but what I found out seems to indicate that."

"It dates from about 1927 to 1932. The holder is Sheaffer’s first adjustable one, introduced in 1927. A pen didn’t come with this one, but it would have been sold with one originally. I’ve photographed it with a Sheaffer desk-pen of the appropriate vintage. As you can see, the lid of the base lifts up to hold a small supply of writing paper. It’s decorated with what I think is an Art Nouveau motif. It has quite a patina to it after all these years, and I’m going to leave it like that - it’s authentic, and it looks very handsome! The lip of the pen holder is slightly warped, which is likely due to the age of the old plastic.

Another beauty for the collection! I watched this thing on eBay for about a year and a half - the shipping was high. The payoff is it arrived very quickly, excellently packed and secure. I’ve not seen another, and would assume these are very rare. BTW, I found this when I searched eBay for other Silver Crest items, not while hunting Sheaffer desk-sets."

Congrats to Stuart on a great find, and our thanks to him for sharing it with us!