One of the common questions that Pelikan novices and collectors alike frequently encounter is; “When was my pen made?”  Often times it can be difficult to narrow down an exact date but Pelikan has left some clues behind to help us at least approximate a production date.  Four important attributes will be discussed below; 1) INTRODUCTORY YEAR,  2) CAP TOP LOGO,  3) TRIM STYLE,  4) W.-GERMANY VS. GERMANY.

 

1.) INTRODUCTORY YEAR

Let’s start with when the pen was introduced as that is as good a starting point as you can get.  Below is a table of relevant (and approximate) release dates for major models from Pelikan’s line-up.  Please note that this list is certainly not exhaustive.  For more detailed information on release dates of various models from 1982 and on, please see this timeline.   For further reading, Werner Rüttinger host some valuable information about these models and others here.

Model	Approximate Introductory Year
100	1929
100N	1938
Rappen	1932
Ibis	1936
120 Type I	1955
120 Type II	1973
140 Solid Color	1952
140 Striated	1955
400	1950
400N	1956
400NN	1957
M75 Go!	1990
M100	1985
M150	1985
M200	1985
M205	Early 2000’s
M215	2005
M250	1985
M481	1983
M300	1998
M400	1982
M600	1985
M800	1987
M1000	1997

 

2.) CAP TOP LOGO

Another major clue, especially for the more modern models is the number of chicks in the logo on the pen’s cap top.  The Pelikan logo has gone through several revisions over the years.  Depicted below from left to right are logos introduced in 1878, 1910, 1924, 1938, 1962, and 2003.

With the above graphics in mind, we get an idea of how to date certain pens based on the cap top.  Earlier cap tops will be etched, usually seen on pens produced before 1997.  The later cap tops, from 1997 and on, have painted logos.  If your cap top logo has a nest with;

 

• 4 chicks:  This is the original logo that appeared on the model 100 but was likely replaced by the time the 100N was introduced.
• 2 chicks:  This logo was the predominant logo from 1938 to 2003 which covers a wide swath and is not as helpful in dating a pen other than to indicate that it’s production predates 2003.
• 1 chick:  This logo was introduced in 2003 so any pen with one chick was likely made after this year.
• 1 chick, all metal cap top logo:  This new cap top design was introduced in 2010 across the Souverän line-up and is the same logo as the 2003 revision with the difference being that this logo/cap top is all metal.  The golden logo is finalized with 24 karat gold and the silver logo is covered with palladium.  This change did not affect the tradition series which currently includes the M150, M200, M205,  and M215.

 

3.) TRIM STYLE

For modern pens, the trim style can help with identification.  In 1997, Pelikan revised their tradition and Souverän lines which essentially split most of their models into pre-1997 and post-1997 trim variants.   These are often referred to as “old-style” and “new-style.”  The bulk of the changes were made to the cap top, cap bands, and barrel trim.  The M600 model was enlarged to better fit its role between the M400 (it was formerly the same size as the M400) and M800.  A few examples of trim changes amongst the different models are as follows;

• M150
  • Pre-’97: Derby cap top, beveled cap band, no trim ring at the piston knob
  • Post-’97: Crown cap top, straight cap band, trim ring at the piston knob

 

• M200/M250
  • Pre-’97: Derby cap top, double cap bands, no trim ring at the piston knob
    • Exceptions: M200 Tortoiseshell Brown, M200 Clear Demo. Type I, M250 Tortoiseshell Brown
  • Post-’97: Crown cap top, single cap band, trim ring at the piston knob

 

 

• M400
  • Pre-’97: Crown cap top, single cap band, no trim ring at the piston knob
  • Post-’97: Crown cap top, double cap bands, double trim rings at the piston knob

 

• M600
  • Pre-’97: Crown cap top, double cap bands, single trim ring at the piston knob (same size as M2oo/M400)
  • Post-’97: Crown cap top, double cap bands, double trim rings at piston knob (size increased in both length and diameter)

 

• M800
  • This model can be dated based on the cap top.  Rick Propas has a very thorough article entitled “Decoding the Pelikan M800” which explains how to determine age based on the cap top’s appearance.

*Note: From time to time, pens will come up for sale that don’t fit the above conventions.  For instance, an M150 Black-Burgundy with a pre-’97 barrel and a post-’97 cap top (and vice versa).  I’ve seen similar with the M150 Black-Grey and the M250 Black-Green.  These seem to be transitional models, likely a consequence of Pelikan using up left over stock.

 

4.) W.-GERMANY VS. GERMANY

Finally, a designation of “W.-Germany” on pens introduced in the 1980’s can help identify a time frame of production.  If a pen is marked “W.-Germany,” it was likely produced prior to re-unification at some point before 1992 (some sources say ’90/91).  A marking of “Germany” is post-unification and would date to after 1992.  To avoid confusion, it should be noted that this designation is generally not applicable to pens released prior to the 1980’s.