Presidential Pens

Kamakura Fountain Pens

John Sprague Bard, Partner and director of the factories for pen maker Mabie, Todd and Bard, tells about a special Swan pen in his biograhy.

During the Grant administration, Bard designed and had made a very special gold Swan fountain pen. He said that it was the finest pen ever made and had never been duplicated. Bard presented the pen to President Grant by Hon. Hamilton Fish, then secretary of the treasurey.

Bard explains that after Grant's death, the pen was given to the Smithsonian Institute and placed on public display.

I've tried to contact the Smithsonian several times about the whearabouts of this pen, but no one there seems to know where anything is. All they tell me is that only 1% of their collection is ever on display.

If someone has connections with the Smithsonian, I hope you can take the time to look up this pen and send word.

However, the Smithsonian does have the pen that Grant used in 1871 to sign the 17th Ammendment, which gave African Americans the right to vote. However the image is not clear enough to identify the gold pen in what seems to be an ebony holder

Image from the Smithsonian collection

In Jannuary of 2001, Southby's auctioned off President's Grants inkwell. It is said that this inkwell that stood proudly on his desk was what inspired the icon for the republican party.

Above, Grant writes his memoires in 1885 within weeks of his death from throat cancer. Mark Twain published Grants writings and was able to give Mrs. Grant the largest royalty check in history.

Shortly after Grant's victory at Vicksburg, Grant was presented with a fine gold Pen from pen manufacturer, John Foley. Click here to read about the Vicksburg Pen