This beautiful Victorian Sampson Mordan line-and-dot mechanical pencil is model 3a (see1898 catalogue in photos, 2nd from top), which is a "Pencil Case for the Pocket" - in fact, a slider pencil, holding a propelling pencil mechanism.  It is made of 10ct gold (the Sampson Mordan arrow stamp is the indication of the "superior quality" 10ct gold) and it is working perfectly.  Additionally, it is housed in a fitted leather case, and is accompanied by a full box of Sampson Mordan VS leads, to keep the pencil in work for years.

When closed, it is a discrete and portable pocket size, but Sampson Mordan engineered these items to become full-sized and beautifully balanced when extended.  The terminal shaping gives lovely finger grip when writing - and the entire mechanism slips away to prevent any unseemly marks to one's pocket from the protruding lead.  

This pencil is in outstandingly good condition - clearly cherished and barely worked in its c. 125 years.  There are no dents or dings to the body, and it has a glossy and empty cartouche should you wish to personalise it.  The body is decorated with a timeless barleycorn design with panels of light-catching line-and-dot.   The slider moves easily to extend out the pencil mechanism.  There is only the lightest of age-related wear visible under magnification - the only wear and tear detectable is some light scuffing to the pencil top (see photo - it barely shows) and a very small flat mark to the lead cone (see photo)

The pencil is stamped with "S. Mordan & Co", and the arrow stamp. This arrow stamp was a unique marketing and purity hallmark used exclusively by Sampson Mordan & Co. to denote 10-carat gold. Mordan introduced the arrow as a proprietary marketing feature to distinguish Mordan's products from competitors by claiming they were made of "superior gold" (10ct = 417 parts per 1000 gold, vs 9ct = 375).

The arrow stamp does help us date the pencil - as it had a time period from 1850 until around 1900.  Peak use was 1880s - 1890s.  Indeed this model of pencil is featured on page 10 of the 1898 catalogue (see photo - same pencil but not with the line-and-dot pattern), so it is reasonable to date it mid - late 1800s.

The pencil mechanism is stamped "VS" = 1.5mm leads.  This is a tricky size to track down, but luckily this pencil comes with a full (a dozen pieces) of VS lead in a S Mordan & Co box, so that you can keep this pencil going for a long while (all the leads are short in length, as the pencil can only withdraw short-length lead).  

Boxed in a beautiful silk and velvet lined fitted case, blue leather exterior with some gold tooling.  The hinge and clip are working perfectly and there is one mark to the base, otherwise it carries little handling wear.

Dimensions (all approximate):

Length fully retracted:  7.8cm

Length fully extended:  10.3cm

Width of engine turned barrel:  0.7cm

Weight:  12.6g

I will send this beautiful bundle to you under Royal Mail tracked delivery in the UK.  Please note if you are buying from outside the UK, this pen/pencil will be delivered by the eBay Global Shipping Programme and it will take around 10 days to get to your door.