Parker 75 ballpoint.
The Parker 75 was introduced in 1964 and, despite its heavy price tag, became a best seller. the 75 is now very collectable both as a fountain pen or, as in this case, a ballpoint pen.
The pen is finished in gold plated 'Grain d'orge', or 'Barleycorn' pattern. This is a very successful way to finish gold plate as it allows the surface to maintain its sparkle without unsightly fingerprints. There is some plating loss to the spine of the 'arrow' clip and a few tiny nibbles at the edge of the cap stud but it is still a strikingly attractive pen.
The pen carries a date code for 1986, made between March and May of that year.
The clip is secured by a Gold plated, faceted, 'stack of coins' cap stud with a dished end. The cap ring is plain gold plate and carries the engraving 'Parker France' along with the date code.
A new genuine Parker refill has been fitted to the pen, these are of much higher quality and long lasting than the 'compatibles' frequently advertised.