Original Civil War Cased Dip Pen, maker-marked, circa 1860 (SOLD,RF)

This is another nice item being offered, it is a Civil War era cased Dip Pen. It has the typical mother-of-pearl handle (common for the period). Both the gold nib and case are marked “Mabie Todd & Co., New York”.

One of the longest-lived makers of writing equipment, Mabie Todd was a firm whose partners' involvement in gold nib and pencil manufacture dated back to the 1840s; “Mabie Todd & Co.” itself was established in 1860 in New York City. After the Civil War, the company was reformed as “Mabie Todd & Bard”.

Writing letters home was a favorite pastime for Civil War soldiers, and a pen such as this would have been typical of what they brought with them when leaving home. In my book “The Civil War Soldier – His Personal Items”, I go into more detail about the importance of letter writing. Also, in "Civil War Artifacts - A Guide for the Historian" by Howard Crouch, there are examples of these excavated pens.

This pen comes in its original case and the swivel brass clasp and hook remains, usually broken off. They go great in a display of a soldier’s personal effects, especially alongside a period letter.