Query re value of WWII Peace Treaty P51

I received the following query by email, and I'm not knowledgeable enough, given the pen's provenance, to assess any sort of reasonable value. Anybody else have an idea what such a pen might be worth?

I own one of the pens issued by Parker Pen to sign the Japanese Peace Treaty in San Francisco in 1951.
The pen was given to the head of security at the function and is marked with his name and an imprint
that the pen commemorates the treaty.  It is dark green with a gold cap.  The pen is in excellent condition, although it appears to have been used by the original owner as his daily pen and shows signs of use.  There are copies of documents proving it's source.  I do not know if it was one of the pens used to actually sign the treaty.
 
Are you familiar with this pen and can you offer any indication of value?  I would appreciate any info.

I received the following query by email, and I'm not knowledgeable enough, given the pen's provenance, to assess any sort of reasonable value. Anybody else have an idea what such a pen might be worth?

I own one of the pens issued by Parker Pen to sign the Japanese Peace Treaty in San Francisco in 1951.
The pen was given to the head of security at the function and is marked with his name and an imprint
that the pen commemorates the treaty. It is dark green with a gold cap. The pen is in excellent condition, although it appears to have been used by the original owner as his daily pen and shows signs of use. There are copies of documents proving it's source. I do not know if it was one of the pens used to actually sign the treaty.

Are you familiar with this pen and can you offer any indication of value? I would appreciate any info.

I would try to contact Mr Lee Chait.
I would very much like images of the pen and documents for my Limited Edition chapter, if that could be arranged.
Best,
Tony
http://parkercollect...tededition.html

I received the following query by email, and I'm not knowledgeable enough, given the pen's provenance, to assess any sort of reasonable value. Anybody else have an idea what such a pen might be worth?

I own one of the pens issued by Parker Pen to sign the Japanese Peace Treaty in San Francisco in 1951.
The pen was given to the head of security at the function and is marked with his name and an imprint
that the pen commemorates the treaty. It is dark green with a gold cap. The pen is in excellent condition, although it appears to have been used by the original owner as his daily pen and shows signs of use. There are copies of documents proving it's source. I do not know if it was one of the pens used to actually sign the treaty.

Are you familiar with this pen and can you offer any indication of value? I would appreciate any info.

Hi Richard,

From the Wiki...

The Treaty of Peace with Japan (commonly known as the Treaty of San Francisco or San Francisco Peace Treaty), between Japan and part of the Allied Powers, was officially signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, United States. It came into force on April 28, 1952.

This treaty served to end officially World War II, to end formally Japan's position as an imperial power, and to allocate compensation to Allied civilians and former prisoners of war who had suffered Japanese war crimes. This treaty made extensive use of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to enunciate the Allies' goals.

This treaty, along with the Security Treaty signed that same year, is said to mark the beginning of the "San Francisco System"; this term, coined by historian John W. Dower, signifies the effects of Japan's relationship with the United States and its role in the international arena as determined by these two treaties and is used to discuss the ways in which these effects have governed Japan's post-war history.

Pricing this pen would seem to be all about the history and context, and only minimally about the pen. If this is a Forest Green Aerometric "51" with GF cap, you know pricing well enough... up to $200 or so in superb condition with no name in barrel, retail, as low as $30 or so as parts pen. How much do WW II aficionados value the name of the security guy, and of more importance how much do they value the event to which the name links the pen? I don't know. I have heard of WW II sewn patches/badges pulling $thousands, but I cannot prove that now. I really do believe this is not a question for pen collectors but rather a question for those who hunt WW II memorabilia. Even if the pen instead were a letter opener or coffee stirrer the value would reside mostly in the history connection. However, that the pen was a valuable item at time of issue, given to a player of at least modest significance adds heft to the find.

A quick web search turned up this WW II memorabilia Forum

http://worldwartwozo...ii-memorabilia/

regards

david

Wow,

This could be quite a piece of history. Richard, if possible, id love to see photo's. From a bit of research i found this;



http://www.wwpenclub...ensforpeace.pdf

I agree with David, especially in regards to WWII collectors being more interested in this item than pen collectors.

I will alsoadd that a collector who wants a piece from this significant event in history would want a pen that actually was used to sign the treaty. This pen, belonging to the chief of security was a generous gift to him, however this pen most probably did not have an active role in the signing. I would not imagine this pen would bring much more than a couple hundred dollars. However, if a pen were to come to market engraved with Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru of Japans name.... then it would be a rather different situation, I would think.

It would help if we were able to know the name of the head of security. Perhaps he went on to greater and more notable positions later in life.

Preston

Edited by plmadding, 19 September 2012 - 03:32 AM.

How would one know for sure this pen was the same one used in the signing of anything? How can one prove any such claim?

How would one know for sure this pen was the same one used in the signing of anything? How can one prove any such claim?

You cant, unless you have a written testimony from the man who used it, or the contractor used to make the pens, or the guy who inscribed the pen. Other wise picture comparison's are the next best thing.