Pelikan 140

The Pelikan 140 is the successor of the Pelikan IBIS and was first produced in 1952. The model is most often found in striped green; the other colors are less common. The model was sold under various manufacturer names, e.g. RUF-Buchhaltung (an accounting company) or completely without any Pelikan branding and also for third parties, so there is a wide model variety.

During the production time of the model 140 a number of changes were made, the dating is based on a study of about 50 fountain pens of this model:

  1. Until 1953 cap ring without inscription, from 1954 with engraving >> Pelikan 140 Germany <<.
  2. In 1954 change from a wide clip to a narrow clip.
  3. Cap head wears no Pelikan logo until changed in 1954.
  4. Until 1954 there was an engraving on the barrels end >> Günther Wagner Pelikan << or >> Günther Wagner Pelikan 140 <<, later without engraving.
  5. In 1954, the specification of the nib width on the filling knob is omitted.
  6. From 12/1954 the fir tree nib with Pelikan logo is used.
  7. In 1964, the design of the fir tree nib is changed, the lines end in front of the nib slot.

    The changes in 1954 can not be narrowed down, so there are combinations of features here.

To illustrate these changes, take a look at the photos below.

Model Production Period Nib
140 1952-1965

CN and 14 ct gold nib

Weight Total Length Barrel Length Cap Length Diameter Ink Capacity
0.52 oz 4.92 in 3.74 in 2.36 in 0.47 in 1.5 ml
14.7 g 125 mm 95 mm 60 mm 12 mm


140

140 Green-Striped Series Production Color
Production: 1954-1964Nib: 14 ct gold Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 80 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 90 / 1955 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 110 / 1963 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan für jeden der schreibt
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Without Logo Series Production
Barrel Color: green stripedCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated
140 Black Series Production Color
Production: 1952-1965Nib: CN / 14 ct Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 80 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 90 / 1955 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 110 / 1963
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Without Logo Series Production
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated
140 Grey Series Production Color
Production: 1952Nib: CN / 14 ct Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentInnovations to the Pelikan price list 70/8
Logo: Without Logo Series Production
Barrel Color: greyCap Color: greyTrim: gold plated
140 Clear transparent Other Color
 Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Without Logo Other
Barrel Color: clear transparentCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated
140 Dark blue Series Production Color Details
Production: 1952-1955Nib: 14 ct gold Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 80 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 90 / 1955
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Without Logo Series Production
Barrel Color: dark blueCap Color: dark blueTrim: gold plated

There are foreign sales brochures and catalogs from the beginning of 1960 with the colors Bordeaux, blue and green. At that time there were large stocks in the foreign branches, it can be assumed that the offer is based on stock.

140 Dark green Series Production Color Details
Production: 1952-1955Nib: 14 ct gold Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 80 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 90 / 1955
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Without Logo Series Production
Barrel Color: dark greenCap Color: dark greenTrim: gold plated

There are foreign sales brochures and catalogs from the beginning of 1960 with the colors Bordeaux, blue and green. At that time there were large stocks in the foreign branches, it can be assumed that the offer is based on stock.

140 Burgundy Series Production Color Details
Production: 1952-1955Nib: 14 ct gold Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 80 DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 90 / 1955
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Without Logo Series Production
Barrel Color: burgundyCap Color: burgundyTrim: gold plated

There are foreign sales brochures and catalogs from the beginning of 1960 with the colors Bordeaux, blue and green. At that time there were large stocks in the foreign branches, it can be assumed that the offer is based on stock.

140  Black-Chrome Series Production Color Details
Production: 1957-1965Nib: CN / 14 ct
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Series Production
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: blackTrim: silver-colored

Chrome-plates respectively silver colored trims.
Export version with 14 ct gold nib.

140 Light tortoise Low vol. Production Color
Production: after 1954Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Without Logo Low vol. Production
Barrel Color: light tortoiseCap Color: light tortoiseTrim: gold plated
140 Light tortoise brown Low vol. Production Color
Production: after 1954Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Low vol. Production
Barrel Color: light tortoiseCap Color: brownTrim: gold plated
140 Continental Company Order Color Details
Production: 1953Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Without Logo Company Order
Barrel Color: yellow, blueCap Color: yellow, blueTrim: gold plated

Order of Continental Hannover.

140 E Elektrographik Low vol. Production Color Details
Production: 1954Nib: CN Leaflet: DeutschLink opens PDF documentPelikan Hauptpreisliste 80
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Low vol. Production
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated

The fountain pen Pelikan 140 E with the cap engraving 'Elektrographik' was made for special ink bar-code labels.

140 Z Zeichenlochen Low vol. Production Color Details
Production: 1955Nib: CN
Logo: Logo as of 1938 (two chicken) Low vol. Production
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated

The fountain pen Pelikan 140 Z with the cap engraving 'für Zeichenlochen' also 'für Zeichenlochung' >>for mark sensing<< was made for special high graphite-containing ink for machine-readable markings on punch cards.

The fountain pen Pelikan 140 Z is also known with chrome colored clip known.

RUF-Buchhaltung

RUF-Buchhaltung Burgundy Company Order Color Details
Production: ca. 1954Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Without Logo Company Order
Barrel Color: burgundyCap Color: burgundyTrim: gold plated

Carbon copy fountain pen for the RUF-Buchhaltung accounting company. The pen was equipped with a neutral clip and got no cap logo, no inscriptions or nib imprint with pointers on Pelikan. RUF-Buchhaltung was a competitor of the company Taylorix, who also works in the field of corporate accounting.

RUF-Buchhaltung Black Company Order Color Details
Production: ca. 1954Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Without Logo Company Order
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated

Carbon copy fountain pen for the RUF-Buchhaltung accounting company. The pen was equipped with a neutral clip and got no cap logo, no inscriptions or nib imprint with pointers on Pelikan. RUF-Buchhaltung was a competitor of the company Taylorix, who also works in the field of corporate accounting.

LEOMA-Buchhaltung

LEOMA-Buchhaltung Burgundy Company Order Color Details
Production: ca. 1952Nib: 14 ct / CN
Logo: Without Logo Company Order
Barrel Color: burgundyCap Color: burgundyTrim: gold plated

Carbon copy fountain pen for the LEOMA-Buchhaltung Augsburg accounting company. The pen was equipped with a neutral clip and got no cap logo, no inscriptions or nib imprint with pointers on Pelikan. The nib is imprinted with LEOMA 585 14 KARAT or LEOMA CN. LEOMA-Buchhaltung Augsburg was a competitor of the companies Taylorix or RUF-Buchhaltung, who also works in the field of corporate accounting.

Taylorix

Taylorix 6 Company Order Color Details
Production: appr. 1954Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Without Logo Company Order
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: blackTrim: gold plated

The Taylorix company was founded in 1922 in Stuttgart (Germany) as a distributor for accounting needs. The Taylorix accounting system was originally developed for hand-write-carbon-copy accounts. Special carbon copy nibs for fountain pens were therefore necessary. Taylorix sold pens from different manufacturers under their own name. The term on the shaft, e.g. 6-G DF can decrypt as follows:

6 = Carbon copy fountain pen
J = ?
G = Gold nib
(P = Manufacturer Pelikan)
D = carbon copy nib
F/EF = Nibsize

Pelikan 140 Deskpen

The 140 Deskpen was probably produced or revised at Pelikan Milano (Italy). Companies gave Deskpens to their employees giving the advantage, that it was not possible to take the pen away by mistake.

The 140 Deskpen is actually a standard 140, with two changes:

  1. No threads to screw the cap on the pen.
  2. The piston knob was replaced by an extension.

Model Production Period Nib
140 Deskpen

14 ct gold nib

Weight Total Length Barrel Length Cap Length Diameter Ink Capacity
6.30 in 0.47 in 1.5 ml
160 mm 12 mm


140 Deskpen

140 Deskpen Black Exportmodel Color
 Nib: 14 ct gold
Logo: Without Logo Exportmodel
Barrel Color: blackCap Color: Trim: gold plated

Fake Pelikan 140 - red striped

There have already been seen some red-striped historical Pelikan models. Someone has apparently falsified the most common models. The secret has solved by Mirko Gregory, he has determined by a polish that the red color was applied only superficially. The original seller has also made the effort to manipulate the packaging accordingly, even this work can be recognized as a fake on closer inspection.

That there were no red-striped 400 or 140 models was confirmed by Mr. Dittmer (archivist of Pelikan).

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