The Parker 75 Milleraies was one of the prestigious 'Place Vandome' collection, made in Meru, France. This is a superb example carrying a date code for the second quarter of 1990.
The pen is 22 Ct. Gold plated over a brass construction. The word ' Milleraies' is roughly translated as ' thousand lines' or 'needle chord' referring to the pattern of finely engraved lines.
In the late 1980s the thin gold ring was added to the section and the section was changed from a sculpted three sided contour to a cylindrical shape with the grip part reduced to a smaller 'teardrop' shape, as on this pen.
This change to the shape was not simply a change of look, or a money saving exercise, but a significant improvement in the ink delivery system. To accommodate a Parker 51 style ink collector, or 'governor', as Parker called it, the section needed to be cylindrical. This meant that the triangular section had to be replaced with a tubular shape, the grip 'teardrop' was added to continue to facilitate the advantages of a rotating nib.
The pen is new old stock, it has an immaculate surface and the engraved lines are crisp and sharp. It is fitted with the original screw type ink converter and a new ink cartridge is supplied so the pen is ready to write in either configuration.
As with many new old stock pens, it arrived unboxed, as pens were only matched with boxes at the point of sale. The high quality presentation box is new, it will serve well for transport, protection, and display.
The 'Milleraies' is an outrageously attractive pen with a good deal of presence and an excellent pedigree. This last version of the Parker 75 is now highly collectable but would also make a first class daily writer.