Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's Montblanc pen sold for S$461,500 at auction after 111 bids
The pen, which is engraved with "SM Lee Kuan Yew", carried a pre-sale estimate of S$30,000 to S$50,000.
A silver Montblanc Meisterstuck fountain pen once owned by Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. (Photo: Hotlotz)
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A Montblanc fountain pen that once belonged to Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew has sold for S$461,500 (US$361,350) at auction, after attracting 111 bids.
The pen, a sterling silver Montblanc Meisterstuck No. 146 with gold-tone highlights and an 18K gold nib, sold at Hotlotz's Interiors & Collectibles - August, Fine Art Focus auction, which ran from Aug 4 to 16.
The final price includes the buyer's premium, while its hammer price, which refers to the final bid accepted by the auctioneer, was S$355,000. The pen had carried a pre-sale estimate of S$30,000 to S$50,000.
Engraved with “SM Lee Kuan Yew”, the pen dates to Mr Lee's years as Senior Minister. It was previously sold at The Lee Kuan Yew Family Collection charity auction in July 2003 for S$52,000.
The auction also featured works by some of Singapore's best-known artists. It set a new auction record for Singaporean artist Chua Mia Tee, who died in July this year. His 1976 painting Singapore Chinatown, Temple Street sold for S$107,900 including the buyer's premium after 58 bids, surpassing his previous record of S$97,600 set in 2023 for his 2003 work Prosperity.
A stoneware pottery vase by Singaporean master ceramicist and Cultural Medallion recipient Dr Iskandar Jalil sold for S$12,350 including the buyer's premium, more than double the top end of its pre-sale estimate from S$2,500 to S$4,000.
