DUCHESSA 1935
The origins and history of the “Duchessa" fountain pens have been
reconstructed in detail by Ariberto La Rocca in the article “The
rediscovered Duchess" published in the magazine Penna Nr. 9.
The fountain pens marked “Duchessa" were produced by P.C.M, a
business founded in 1935 by Pietro Codega in Milan. (Hence the name of
the business: the founder’s initials together with an M for Milano). The
company, registered in the Chamber of Commerce of Milan with no.
234919, had as its definition of business: “Fountain Pens and Spare
Parts – Production and Wholesale and Retail Trade".
Pens produced in the 1930s and 40s included safety and button filling
fountain pens made of ebonite, celluloid, and often enriched with
precious metal coatings. The engraving on the barrels included the
words “Duchess" combined with the symbol of a stylized five-pointed
crown. The same crown was reproduced on the nibs, marked “Duchess – 585
Gold".
There are also “Duchessa” models (both full and pocket size)
manufactured in beautiful colored celluloids with “wave” facets .
Alongisde these, lever filler models of greater size were also added,
these dating back to a later period, presumably the second half of the
1940s.
Starting from the second half of the 1940s, models with a hooded nib, similar in style to that of theParker “51", were introduced.
These were manufactured both in black resin and in flamed ebonite (model 5112). The caps were gold laminated and these were button fillers, with a transparent window that allowed a glimpse of the feeder tube.
Also dating back to this period is the model 5113, an unusual safety pen with an entirely transparent section that allowed you to see the back and forth movement of the nib.
This model was made both with a black barrel and laminated capa s with an integral “18 KR" gold laminated coating Model 5115 was the only one to be made with a vacuum loading mechanism.
Made entirely of transparent material, this pen was in fact “demonstrator”.
Manufacturing stopped in 1958.