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This is one of the most convincing fake Montblanc fountain pens we have ever seen.
After 14 years in the pen business, I have just encountered one the very best fake Montblanc pens I’ve ever seen. It came with a collection of vintage pens for appraisal. I had been told it was a Montblanc rollerball, and it looks very much like a Montblanc Classique. The appraisal customer told me it was a LeGrand.
A quick inspection showed it had a serial number in the clip band, Pix written under the clip, perfect cap band nomenclature. It came with a convincing box and set of papers!
My first clue something was wrong came when I tried taking off the cap. A true Classique has a slip cap. This cap was threaded…and LeGrands are supposed to be threaded…though this pen was too skinny to be a LeGrand. Open the pen, and it took an authentic Montblanc rollerball refill. But, inside the barrel was a metal threaded space when there are no metal threads in an authentic MB Classique. There was so much right and wrong with the pen.
That’s when my brilliant fiancée recommended searching the number on the clip band.
EN1340798 is one of the most frequently used serial numbers on fake Mont Blanc pens.
Lo and behold, this pen turned out to have one of the most faked numbers for faux Montblanc pens: EN1340798. Research quickly showed it on fountain pens, rollerballs and ballpoints.
In a security fail for the actual Montblanc company, they don’t track their serial numbers. As such, many, if not most, MB serial numbers are not assigned to a pen owner or provenance of any kind. Montblanc has even acknowledged that sometimes it reuses serial numbers! Ironically, this makes the very security measures the company uses to authenticate its pens that much less secure.
In an effort to help separate the real pens from the fakes, please write in the comments section any other serial numbers you know to be fake. Thanks!
I have a 146 that almost looks real #KY1944219
Thank you, Don, for helping to build a data base of fake Montblanc serial numbers!
I bought a Mont Blanc fountain pen in Shenzhen, China. The serial number looks like NDL33966L. It is in tiny letters on the side of the top of the clip
Thank you, Dale.
Hello
I have a Montblanc 149 with a serial number
PG1040569, made in Germany,on the clip.
Anyway you can identify if it is a genuine Montblanc or fake?
Thanks!
Hi Seth! Thank you for reading and writing to us. I did a quick Google search for that number and it didn’t come up. However, that alone won’t tell if it is authentic. You can always send it in to Montblanc for authentication, but they’ll charge you. Is “Pix” written under the cap. If you search for 149 nib designs, does your pen match? Is there a red-wine hue to the black resin when you hold it up to a bright light? Those are all factors that can help you verify it at home.
My Montblanc has “Pix” under the clip, it has the red-wine glow and the serial number is
MX1249742. I think it is a slim Classique. Can you tell me anything about authenticity? Thanks you !
Howdy Peter! Thank you for writing. It sounds good to me. I Googled the serial number and nothing came up. If you want it formally authenticated, you can send it to Montblanc, but they’ll charge you for the privilege, either way.
I have a Montblanc Boheme Rollerball (Rouge) red stone 25300 (I believe??).
Its serial number is VY1180593. Color black with red rectangle gemstone on clip. It has the indicators of not being a fake. “PIX” embossed on backside of clip, a serial number, and the word “Germany” on upper cap ring. I have been unable on the internet to get a positive description or obtain any information about the pen from the serial number. I understand that Montblanc hasn’t maintained strict control over the numbers.
I do not have original boxing or paperwork. It was purchased as part of a large real estate acquisition. I would just like to know if I have identified it accurately in my above description, and perhaps an estimated date of manufacture. Any help appreciated!
Thank you,
11-29-2021
Thank you for writing to us. From what you explain, it sounds like the real thing. I think the red stone clip versions were first made around the year 2000. I don’t know how many years they made them for, though. All the best, Nathaniel
Nathaniel,
I purchased what I know is a fake Classique Ballpoint pen which I hope you can further confirm by the serial number XY2006108. Some Other things I have discovered since researching fake Mont Blancs which might help in detecting them are:
1. There is no spacing in the engraving of either the serial number or the word GERMANY.
2. The script used in both serial number and GERMANY is totally different from that of authentic pen which I own e.g.
The centre ‘v’ middle downstrokes of the letter ‘M’ touch the bottom as in ‘M’ in the fake engraving, whereas in my authentic pen it is engraved with the middle downstrokes only part way down. All 3 horizontal strokes of the letter ‘E’ are all the same length in the fake pen, whereas the middle stroke of the letter ‘E’ of the authentic pen is shorter than the top and bottom strokes. The letter ‘A’ is engraved as a sharp pointed top character ‘A’ whereas it has the appearance of a rounded inverted thimble like character in the original. There are other noticeable difference in the letter character engraving if you compare.
Again, with the serial numbers there are obvious differences in the engravings e.g.
The numeral ‘0’ is rounded on the fake pen whereas on the authentic pen it is square shaped. The numeral ‘1’ on the fake pen has the normal small cross stroke and single downstroke as in ‘1’ whereas in the authentic pen there is an extra small upstroke to the right of the downstroke.
The above are a few examples of differences I have discovered in my research do far.
One other curious thing about the fake pen I have that I noticed, it also has the word ‘METAL’ engraved between ‘GERMANY’ and the Serial number.
I trust this information may be helpful in our fight against the counterfeiters.
Tom Watson (Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland)
Howdy Tom! Wow! Thank you for this great addition to our knowledge to fight the fakes. I did a quick Google search on that serial number, and it is, indeed, a counterfeit. Great observations!
Hi Tom,
I bought a used metal rubber starwalker ballpoint off for 400 bucks ebay and some of the black has rubbed off so i’ve been hunting for info. this site is great (thanks nathaniel!) and your info is the cherry on top.
Mine has a serial number YF1917948 and in my research, i saw pictures of other mont blancs on ebay with no space between the serial number and the edge of the metal around the top rim under the resin top. mine (which i do believe is real now based on your description of the word GERMANY which mine matches.. the M and the E). My serial number is small (the 1 with the bottom right notch and squared 0 as you described) with a full space size on the left and double space on the right and the numbers are tightly spaced (I think you addressed that).
The only thing is that “metal” IS engraved in between GERMANY and Pix(R) under my clip.
Still, I’m confident that my precious is authentic thanks to your detailed descriptions.
THANKS!
The word “Metal” is frequently engraved in Montblanc’s underclips. Thanks for checking in, reading and writing to us!
Just discovered this fake serial number on a pen that looks a lot like a Montblanc Classique fountain pen with platinum trim. MBHJ43DS1
I have a lot of fake serial numbers but I don’t have any money to buy pens. But try to learn and advise people not to buy fakes at this time, as an example.
MT1094088 / IW1666858 / IW1666865 / IY1073508 / IY10568667
Thank you, Lee, for sharing these fake MB serial numbers!
IW666858 on a Montblanc Classique ballpoint. It seems this serial number has been used often–a typical fake?
I have the same serial number but I had mine authenticated in Montblanc Chicago and it checked out well. Are we certain this isn’t just Montblanc cutting corners and reusing pen numbers for ballpoints and rollerball models?
Montblanc did reuse some of its serial numbers, and it doesn’t track its numbers at the factory. However, whereas MB might have reused a number once, most of these numbers have been known to have been on hundreds of pens or more. I cannot speak for MB Chicago. However, the only formal MB authentication service I know of is with the company’s mail-in service.
I just stopped by a MB boutique and they told me the 114 Mozart I purchased pre-owned from a authorized reseller and pen store is not authentic. Serial number XY1014049. It has all the markings of a real MB, wine red glow, Pix under clip etc. The rep told me the pen has a mix of fake and real parts, but the serial number check came up with six different pens. The seller swears it is real, and is willing to personally contact MB, but I think I will just send it back for return afterall.
Thank you for writing in, Nina. Montblanc makes life complicated. It reuses some of its serial numbers. However, fakers have much better fake parts that look more authentic. Perhaps somebody fixed a real pen with fake parts, but it is very unusual to have a mix of real and fake parts in the same pen. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, always feel free to return it. Hopefully, the seller will give you a refund. Without seeing the pen or knowing the boutique, I not sure how much I can help beyond that. However, Montblanc does have an authenticating service, if you want to roll the dice and keep it. (Unfortunately, the authentication service is expensive.) Best of luck!
Montblanc pen Serial Number fake YP1058667, 1BBH67HLL, MBHJ594T3, MBCF5RSS5 and m budget used in front of the compressor to accelerate the speed of reading books.
I tried Find a link to check the serial number of the pen that was produced, but it’s still very rare. But most often come across fake pens. very much in my country.
I don’t have a Mont Blanc pen. but will try to seek knowledge for fellow pen collectors and try to find a catalog of pens of all generations of Mont Blanc to learn and study but will be parallel by seeking knowledge to share
This is a classic fake number in Spain: IW1666858
Gracias, Amigo!
This fake one is used in star walker model : MDL33964L
Hello again.
Instead of to send a post for every fake number that I find, I will send a list with everyone I can find by the next weeks. Obviously if you are agree.
Thanks for your work.
That sounds great. Thank you for your work!
Hello Nathaniel Cerf, dear friend. I have a Serial Number to inform you. Fake code star walker model : NDL33966L/KY1944219 Montblanc Diva line ballpoint pen, Princess Grace of Monaco collection. Black gemstone. Black resin. Be careful.
I have a MB 149 but it doesn’t have the pix letters on the clip. It has everything else and it seems real. Is the pix something completely mandatory to be real?
Some earlier models do not have the “Pix.” Most of the pens from the 1990s had the serial number and no Pix under the pocket clip.
I have a starwalker mystery ball point pen Serial number YT1061085 Is this a Fake or Real?
Hi Ben, I don’t know, but it doesn’t turn up on a Google search. So that is a good start. Thanks for writing, Nathaniel
Hi – My wife has a meisterstuck fountain pen an ex bought her in 2005 – has serial number VM101432 as well as a star Ag925 on the other end of the pen lid. Nothing coming up with a google search.. any thoughts??
If nothing is coming up, it is probably fine. That’s a nice pen.
I was looking on ebay for a used MB pen – I noticed in several ads where they are showing the serial number in the picture and several of them had the same serial number – they were all classique rollerballs and had this number and I wanted to know if authentic. All the other clues in the photos seem authentic but it seems strange that those serial numbers are the same. On the rollerball I own the serial is clear in block letters – here is the number in the photos showing the pens for sale: WL666858
Thank you
Hi Bill, Thanks for writing. Technically, Montblanc did double up some of its serial numbers. BUT, to find a bunch of them all at once on eBay seems a bit shady to me.
I think the serial number you can see is IWL666858 – there’s a manufacturer in China that uses that https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005953254403.html
does the number BG 1432764 look original to you? Classique
We don’t have a definitive list of number. Please check the other comments for the numbers they know are fake, and also Google the number. Often times fake numbers are discussed heavily online.
Hi,
I recently received a Mont Blanc pen and pencil set (Meisterstuck). Do these come in sets? The serial numbers are GI1112399 and GP2201954 respectively. Any thoughts on their legitamacy?
Thanks
Nothing comes up on a Google search of those serial numbers. Given what limited info I have, they’re likely legit.
I think it’s a Mont Blanc brand pen. At this time there will be a lot of goods from China and Taiwan mixed in. Because merchants make a living to make a profit for themselves, they order a lot of imports to sell through Lazada and shopee.There are a lot of them. I have a serial number to inform my friends about.
Le -Petti : MBHJ594T3
JFK:MBCF5RSS5
Starwalker:MDL33964L
I love the look of the Mont Blanc collection of pens. What I hate is the price. It’s very hard to justify £1000+ for a fountain pen.
So I collect the Chinese fakes. They look great and £20 is a lot better than £1000.
I’m not cheap I’m an average guy who does not have the money.
Hey y’all… does every Mont Blanc pen have a serial number? I was just sold a Rouge et Noir heritage spider metamorphosis Coral special edition, but I can’t find a serial number anywhere. I understand it should be on the back of the pen clip. No serial number means fake, yes?
Montblanc from the 1980s and earlier didn’t have a serial number, but the Rouge et Noir pens should. It is reasonable to think that one is a fake.