MATERIALS: 14k gold (tests), steel pen nib, graphite
AGE: c. 1880
CONDITION: Very good
SIZE: 2 1/2" length including the bale, 4" length extended (4 3/4" length with pencil extended)
It's a pencil! It's a pen! It's both, in solid gold.
This telescoping fob was made by S. Mordan & Co., the firm founded by Sampson Mordan, who apprenticed under the renowned locksmith (and fountain pen nerd) Joseph Bramah.
In 1822, Mordan co-patented the first mechanical pencil in Britain, improving on earlier designs by allowing the graphite to be advanced with an internal mechanism. Designed to hang from a watch chain, this collapsible piece is both a finely made tool and a compact bit of innovation. They're highly collectible and very rare.