How good things last - 1970s Sterling Silver Parker 75

This has been with me for about 15 years or so. A circa 1970s Parker 75 fountain pen with a 14k gold nib, cover and body made out of Sterling Silver with a cross hatched square grid pattern (called the Cicelé) and can be used with the usual Parker cartridge for ink. 

I dated it to the mid 1970s because it is American made and features the later dish 'tassies' (top of cap and base of pen is dished instead of flat topped), it does not have a reference '0' on the nib dial (something unique in the 75 as you can adjust the nib angle to suit your finger and writing style) and it has the longer 16mm Parker 'Arrow' gold filled clip. It was Parker's premium pen of the mid 1960s to the 1970s. 

The reason why I appreciate this Parker 75 these days is mostly due to the fact that I love everything that has a natural patina (leather shoes & bags, bronze watches and the sort). This is one pen that has it in spades. I do love old pens made out of celluloid or bakelite too but do note how the silver stains, tarnishes or patinas with age. Like bronze and copper, silver oxidizes and you see a variation in the tones of the material. As such, my 75 is not polished. It is left in its natural patina-ed form complete with its scratches and what other signs of human use. Mint condition stuff has its place as do well used stuff like this pen.

So much character that comes from years and years of use and human contact.