In 1964, to celebrate their 75th anniversary, the Parker Pen Company introduced the Parker 75. Mine belonged to my dad and is, I believe, from 1967. At the time, they sold for $25 which in today’s money would be about $200, I guess. On eBay, the sterling-silver ones, like mine, go for anywhere from $100 to $250, depending on what it’s made of, nib size and collectable status.
Mine is the sterling-silver model with the grid pattern, which looks very elegant and slim compared to many of today’s black and bulky fountain pens. I had my dad’s fine nib replaced with a Parker France broad nib, which is more like what we’d call a medium-thickness nib today.
Some of these pens were made in gold and other finishes, and some were made from 1715-era silver coins from a sunken Spanish ship found off the Florida Keys in the late 1960s.
When my brother (thanks, Jeffrey!) gave me this pen a couple of years ago, I had it checked out and the interior-grip cap mechanism replaced by our friends at Fahrney’s, which is a wonderful Washington, DC pen store. Their store is across from the National Press building on F Street, NW, and their repair facility is in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Good folks. Send for their catalog!
These 75s take both the old-fashioned fill-from-a-bottle ink holders and modern-day ink cartridge refills. Tomorrow, I start a new print production assignment at one of my favorite places, so I’ll celebrate by using this pen, filled with the Parker emerald-green ink, which they call Quink for some reason.
Jim's World and Welcome To It 
May 23, 2013 @ 18:12:39
Among my late husband’s belongings I found a Parker fountain pen just like yours (Made in USA) but with a fine nib which I find impossible to use. Where did you obtain the Parker France broad nib for your pen? All internet sources list a multitude of nibs for this pen, but not a single normal medium version !
Help me please, if you can. Many thanks.
Monika Maliye, London
May 23, 2013 @ 18:57:43
Hi, Monika–
I have purchased nibs from this vendor:
http://www.nibs.com/Parker75NibVarieties.htm
I also found the fine nib unpleasant to use, and had switched to a broad. Then I wanted to try a medium as I was filling out job jackets with limited space.When I saw the price for the medium nibs, I decided to retire the pen and get a modern Parker Sonnet, with medium nib, in the same Sterling Silver grid pattern. Somewhat larger pen but looks much like the 75. I had to fiddle with the medium nib on the new pen but now I love it!
Good luck!!!
–Jim
May 24, 2013 @ 08:58:53
Thank you very much for your extremely prompt and helpful advice. As even the source you quoted me doesn’t have a plain medium nib any more, I may have to follow your example, although my 75 pen has now acquired a certain sentimental value and I don’t fancy a larger replacement pen for my fairly small hand. I have not used a fountain pen since my youth (Pelikan was the pen of choice on those days in Austria) but just recently, trying out the silver Parker, I find it makes my ever more scribbly handwriting surprisingly legible and much neater, hence I would quite like to use it on a regular basis. Whatever I decide eventually, your reply is much appreciated.
P.S. I don’t know where in the US you are located and have never been there myself, but my younger veterinarian daughter has spent two years treating horses in Kentucky and Texas and really loved it there !
Best regards,
Monika Maliye
May 24, 2013 @ 10:52:37
Hi, Monika–
I certainly understand about the size of your hand being an issue; you might find the Parker Sonnet awkward due to its size. One pen you might like is the Montblanc 144, which is smaller than most MBs. I found one on eBay several years ago, medium nib, and it’s a dream to write with. It’s the pen I keep on my desk at home.
I used to live, in the third grade, in Sabine Pass and Port Arthur, Texas; you’ll see some photos on this blog somewhere. And my mom was born in Kentucky. I grew up in a lot of different Gulf Coast states, but was usually in Florida and our family now lives in the Washington, DC, area.
Good luck!
–Jim
May 24, 2013 @ 13:14:50
Dear Jim,
Once again many thanks for your response and recommendation. This fountain pen business is clearly quite a science but an enjoyable one ! Greetings from another miserable weather day in London – we are now approaching June at a mere 9 C and about ten days ago snow fell in several of the English shires – enough to make one want to emigrate to Florida (where my daughter also stayed, although Louisiana is her all time favourite).
Kind regards,
Monika
May 24, 2013 @ 13:19:43
Yep; I love the art and science of fountain pens! Wish I could afford more, like a nice Pelikan, but what the heck! I also lived (as a child) in Louisiana: Houma and the New Orleans area. The food, music and folks there made it a wonderful place to be. We here in the DC area seem to be sharing your cool and wet weather today, but things are slated to improve soon!
Best regards–
–Jim
Jan 11, 2015 @ 05:30:32
my parker is identical to the one above, with the following exception: the ring directly above the nib has 24 equally spaced marks, extending a little less than half way across the band, with one mark having a 0 directly above it ; does this have any significance?
Jan 11, 2015 @ 13:46:19
Hi, Michael–
My Parker 75 has those markings. They’re to allow you to know your “setting” when you twist the nib holder one way or another to best suit how you hold your pen.