This Parker 51 Custom is characterised by the rolled Gold cap, the Classic version of the 51 had a cap made from an alloy that Parker named 'Lustralloy'.
The 'Teal' colour, named after the wing flash on the duck of that name, is a mid blue with a distinct green tinge. It is most attractive, particularly effective with the gold cap of the Custom pen.
The pen has been fully serviced and tested. A service is always recommended with a Parker 51 as the fine fins of the 'ink collector' can become clogged if a pen has been left unused for some time. The efficiency of the 51 as a writer depends, to some extent, on the ink collector, which acts as a second ink reservoir so a blocked collector can impair performance.
The pen has a 'showroom' finish and carries a stamp showing that the pen was made in England in 1956. The cap is ding free with an excellent surface. It is stamped: '1/10 12Ct. R. Gold', indicating that the cap is one tenth, by weight, 12 Ct. Gold.
The aerometric filling system, developed by Parker specifically for the 51, is quick and easy to use and takes up a good volume of ink and the 14Ct. gold nib writes with a smooth, medium line.
The Parker 51 has been described as 'the best pen Parker ever made' and this example certainly supports that claim, it would make a first class, and prestigious, every day writer.