The Burnham 'C' pen, a variant of the flagship Burnham B59, was made around 1950.
The pen has a very clear and crisp 'Burnham C. London' imprint, a triple cap band, and a 14 Ct. Gold nib with a letter 'J' in script. Burnham pens can be tricky to identify accurately because of the incomprehensible numbering system and the tendency for the company not to imprint a number on somepens for no apparent reason. This pen is straightforward, however, only the B59 and the 'C' had a triple cap band.
It appears thet the 'C' signifies 'calligraphy', as on the Mabie Todd Caligraph nibs from around the same time period. The 14 Ct. Gold nib imprint is predictably unpredictable in that it is a letter 'J', in script. As the nib is a broad stub, particularly suited for 'elaborate' writing, it would be reasonable to expect another 'C', for calligraphy imprint.
A conventional lever filler, the pen is in exceptional condition througout. It has a first class surface and, unusually for a Burnham, the Gold plating is in very good order. The cap is a smooth screw fit, tightening with just over one and a half turns.
The filling system has been overhauled and works well. The stub nib profile gives broad vertical and narrow horizontal strokes and adds character to the writing. My scrawl does it no justice but it would produce impressive results in the right hands. When posted the pen is an impressive 15.5cm. long and is very comfortsble in use.
The original Burnham box is in excellent, clean condition. The petrified state of the old ink sac and the condition of the pen and its box suggest that it has been stored for a few decades without use.
As a relatively expensive, top of the range, quite specialised variant, the Burnham 'C' pen probably did not sell in great numbers and there are very few remaining in circulation. It is a rare, high quality pen, clearly in collectable condition, but it is definitely a 'writers pen' so should probsbly be used and enjoyed.