1941 Marine Green Sheaffer Balance Vigilant - Vacuum-Fil - medium nib

Pen collectors describe this pen as a "military clip" pen. World War Two era US military uniform shirts had a flap covering the opening of the breast pockets. Regulation required that nothing within the pocket be visible. Some pen companies introduced cap designs to meet this requirement. This pen is a standard Sheaffer Balance Sovereign with the clip cleverly attached to meet the uniform requirement. Sheaffer had four such models: Valiant nee Statesman, Vigilant nee Sovereign, Defender nee Admiral and Commandant nee Craftsman. These pens appear only in the 1941 Sheaffer catalog. This pen is almost like new. The only "flaw" to disclose is slight darkening of the barrel transparency. When new the transparent stripes were light green. They have darkened, or ambered, in spots yet much of it remains green as new. Otherwise the celluloid is perfect. The gold plated silver trim (probably coin silver?) is unmarred. It will tarnish black giving evidence that the base metal has high silver cont