The Onoto 'The Pen' No. 5123 was made around 1935 and marketed as a 'Ladies Pen'. A clipless pen, it was made in two versions: the 72 had a ring for a chatellaine and the 82, this pen, had a plain cap stud.
The somewhat 'quirky' but extremely efficient plunger filling system was first patented in 1905, it has certainly stood the test of time and helped establish De La Rue and Onoto as a leading global brand.
Restored and tested, the pen has a very good surface with a clear barrel imprint identifying it as a London made 'Onoto The Pen'. Around the end of the plunger button the '5123 82' imprint is faded but legible.
The 14Ct. gold nib is stamped:
De La Rue
Onoto
14C
London
33
The nib writes well, delivering a smooth line with a good amount of flex. Someone with a decent 'hand' would enjoy producing impressive results with this pen.
The Onoto plunger filling pens are of high quality and are highly collectable. The Ladies pens were sold in limited numbers and are quite hard to come by.