The De La Rue 541 was one of a new range of pens introduced in 1932. This black chased hard rubber version was discontinued in 1934, a short production run.
The pen has been restored and tested and is in excellent working condition. There is a very slight brown patina but the chasing is very sharp as are the imprints on the barrel.
The model number, 541, is imprinted at the end of the barrel along with the number 75. The meaning and significance of this second number, a common feature of these pens, is yet to be ascertained. There is slight pitting on the edge of the lever but otherwise the gold plating has held up well.
At a most impressive 16.3cm., 6 1/2 inches, in length with the cap posted this is a very long, elegant pen with a high quality feel. The 14 Ct. Gold De La Rue nib is a gem, it writes smoothly and has a good flex giving line width variation and adding character to the writing. A person with a decent 'hand' could produce excellent 'copperplate' style work.
The De La Rue 541 pen is one of the last of the hard rubber pens, the company had been using plastics for some time. Due to the short production run, and the fact that the public were more interested in the new fangled plastic pens, this model is quite hard to come by and is very collectable.