Tag: bill signer pen

Vintage Item Spotlight-Richard Nixon Bill Signer Pen

By David G. Firestone

nixon-hb14370-1We have discussed so called “bill signer” pens a couple of times, and for this article, we will shift gears. Richard Nixon’s entire Presidency can be summed up with the word Watergate. Prior to that, he was a popular president, who did a lot for the country.

On October 20, 1972, while the scandal was beginning to heat up, and with the elections in sight, President Nixon was in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and while at Independence Hall, signed “H.R. 14370 To provide fiscal assistance to State and local governments, to authorize Federal collection o£ State individual income taxes, and for other purposes.” He did so using this custom Parker 45 pen.nixon-hb14370-2

The pen is blue in color, and has Richard Nixon’s signature on the side of the blue plastic. nixon-hb14370-3

The pen shows heavy use, with cracks on the blue plastic. The tip is also destroyed. Given what was going on in Washington at the time, that makes sense. Just 10 days earlier, the FBI had announced that the Nixon re-election committee had been involved in a huge ring of illegal spying and surveillance. Nixon had to be on edge, and it is very likely he very aggressively signed his name on the document. nixon-hb14370-4

The pen still has the original pen box, customized with the Presidential Seal and Nixon’s signature emblazoned in gold on a white background. The inside has red felt, and holds the pen very snugly.nixon-hb14370-6 nixon-hb14370-5

Accompanying the pen is a card the length of the pen box with a description of the signing in blue script on a tan background. nixon-hb14370-7 It was one of the last moments of pride for a presidency that would see its end in scandal less than two years later. It did change our society, but the man who used the pen would also change our society.

Vintage Item Spotlight: Lyndon Baines Johnson Bill Pen…Part 1

lbj-s503-pen-1By David G. Firestone

It dawns on me I should use this blog more often. So what I’m going to do is every other week, I will take a vintage item, and analyze it up close. The Driver Suit Blog will be for racing items, this will be for everything else.lbj-s503-pen-1

For the first part of this new blog, we will take a look at a Lyndon Baines Johnson bill pen, used to sign a legislative bill in 1965.lbj-s503-pen-2

The pen is an Esterbrook crystal fountain pen, which, in addition to LBJ was used by John F. Kennedy, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. This particular style was used for a number of high profile bill signings, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963. This particular pen was used to sign S. 510, “An act to extend and otherwise amend certain expiring provisions of the Public Health Service Act to community health services, and for other purposes.”

The pen is clear, with THE PRESIDENT THE WHITE HOUSE engraved on the side.lbj-s503-pen-3The steel fountain pen tip has ink remnants from that signing still present on the pen over 49 years later, which adds to its mystique. This 49 year old ink on this 49 year old pen changed the United States of America and affected all of the citizens within it.lbj-s503-pen-4Pens such as these are highly desired by collectors…but how do collectors get them?  Here is a simplified version of how a bill signing works in the United States:  The House and Senate pass the bill, and the bill goes to the President who signs the bill.  In a media ceremony, the President signs a number of copies of the bill, each with a different pen, and then gives the pen to individuals who helped pass the bill, Senators, Representatives, and private citizens alike.  These pens are treasured by the recipients, but often times, after the recipients pass away, or if they need some extra money, they will sell them to collectors.

Many examples of “bill signer” pens exist on eBay and other collector sites where it is unclear if it was used to sign legislation.  Those pens that actually have signed legislation command a much higher price, and are very highly desired by collectors.  Benjamin Franklin once said “The pen is mightier than the sword,” and this pen is a perfect example of that.