The Sheaffer Imperial 440 was made in the late 1960s to early 1970s. This is a near mint example in black, perhaps one of a batch of new old stock pens that became available a short while ago. There is no sign of it having being inked.
The pen is a cartridge/converter filler, it is fitted with the original Sheaffer converter and will accept modern Sheaffer cartridges.
The nib is a steel inlaid short diamond design, sometimes referred to as a 'V' nib. It is clearly stamped:
'Sheaffer. U.S.A.'
The cap is brushed stainless steel with a chromed sprung clip which carries the Sheaffer 'White Dot' mark of quality. This was reserved for pens that retailed above a threshold price.
The pen body is pristine, it has an excellent surface and a clear imprint.
At 13 cm. capped and 14.5 cm. posted for use, the 440 is a full sized pen with a high quality look and feel. It is one of the less common of the Imperial style pens and is becoming quite collectable.