Wrong Signature Montblanc
In the mid-1990s, Montblanc began selling a limited-edition pen engraved with the signature of Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers — at a price of $750 for a fountain pen or $375 for the ballpoint version. But in 1996 the company admitted it had made a mistake and recalled all the pens. The engraved signature was from the wrong Alexandre Dumas. Not the author of The Three Musketeers, but rather his not-quite-as-famous son, author of "The Lady With the Camellias.'"
The mistake was first noticed by the owner of a pen store in Toronto who was displaying a manuscript in his store that included the signature of the senior Dumas and noticed it didn't match the one on the pen. [More info: Eugene Register-Guard - Oct 6, 1996]
At the time, there was a lot of speculation that the wrong-signature pen would quickly rise in value. But no. Checking on eBay, it seems that both versions of the pen go for about the same price (anywhere from $800 to $2000). Probably because too many of the wrong-signature pens were made to make it a rare item.
There's a discussion of both pens on the Fountain Pen Network.
The mistake was first noticed by the owner of a pen store in Toronto who was displaying a manuscript in his store that included the signature of the senior Dumas and noticed it didn't match the one on the pen. [More info: Eugene Register-Guard - Oct 6, 1996]
At the time, there was a lot of speculation that the wrong-signature pen would quickly rise in value. But no. Checking on eBay, it seems that both versions of the pen go for about the same price (anywhere from $800 to $2000). Probably because too many of the wrong-signature pens were made to make it a rare item.
There's a discussion of both pens on the Fountain Pen Network.
Comments
Measure it with a string and cut it with an ax.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/22/15 at 09:56 AM
When I had my teeth pulled in my teens the oral surgeon was named Dumas. I found out at that time it was NOT pronounced as one might think.
Posted by BrokeDad in Midwest US on 11/22/15 at 10:37 AM
No, the pronunciation you were thinking of is reserved for anyone who pays that much for a pen.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/22/15 at 10:25 PM
Highly recommend "The Black Count", a biography of Dumas Père's eponymous father. This badass dude, son of a slaveholder and his slave, was a general in the French Revolutionary army. The book cites a few pieces of his signed and sarcastic correspondence. Sorry, no pens.
Posted by Angie unduplicated on 11/23/15 at 10:41 AM
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Category: 1990s | Goofs and Screw-ups