Mabie Todd were hit particularly hard by the Board of Trade wartime restrictions on pen production as they were located in the 'red zone' and initially only allowed to produce 10% of the number of pens they produced pre-war. The imprint on this pen is of the type used in 1939/40.
The pens produced under these regulations became known as 'Austerity Pens', the term referring to the period rather than the pens, there is nothing austere about this particular model, the wide cap band is a high end feature. The majority of austerity pens were not numbered, as is the case with this pen. Perhaps the company did not want to commit to a particular model number in such uncertain times.
The pen has been fully restored and is in excellent working condition. It has an excellent surface, a strong baller imprint and the gold filling has held up extremely well. The Swan logo on the top of the cap has a clear white outline.
The pen is a lever filler, it has been fitted with a new ink sac as the original had hardened with age. The filling system works well and takes up a good volume of ink.
The 14Ct. Gold Swan number 2 nib writes with a fine line with very little pressure. It has a small amount of flex which gives a medium line to add character to the writing.
At 12.6 cm, capped and a most impressive 16Cm. with the cap posted on the barrel for use, this is a large pen with a distinguished look and high quality feel. The austerity Swans were produced in very limited numbers and are now very collectable and hard to find, particularly in such outstanding condition.