Conway Stewart custom made pens for W.H. Smith from 1906 into the 1930s. This chased hard rubber, clipless 'Seal' model is very similar to the Conway Stewart 'Universal' pen made in the early 1920s.
The 'lollipop' lever is stamped 'WHS', as is the 14Ct. Gold nib. The 'box' lever system is not a common feature of Conway Stewart pens but was found on some early 1920s WHS pens.
The pen has been restored and is in excellent working condition. The imprint is just legible but the chasing is crisp and shows very little wear with only a slight brown patina in places. When posted the pen is an enormous 17.4 cm. in length, it is very comfortable in use, even for the largest of hands, but has a slim, elegant profile. It writes with a medium line and has a fair amount of flex, adding character to the writing.
By the mid 1920s a good proportion of the Conway Stewart output was in 'own brand' pens. Conway Stewart clearly had a long established relationship with W.H.S. and enhanced the customisation by using a box lever and nib imprinted with the company name, most own name pens had plain levers and warranted nibs.
At around a hundred years old this is a fine example of a high quality British lever filler, not at all easy to find.