Singapore Founding PM Lee Kuan Yew's Engraved Montblanc Pen Goes Under The Hammer For $50,000

A personal Montblanc fountain pen once owned by Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is set to go under the hammer later this month, with auctioneers expecting it to fetch as much as S$50,000 (around US$39,000). The historic writing instrument, engraved with the words "SM Lee Kuan Yew," is among the highlights of an upcoming online auction.

The silver Montblanc Meisterstück No. 146 fountain pen carries a rich provenance. According to Singapore-based auction house Hotlotz, the pen was previously sold during the Lee Kuan Yew Family Collection charity auction in July 2003.`

For its upcoming sale, the auction house has assigned it an estimated value ranging between S$30,000 and S$50,000, with bidding opening at S$20,000 (approximately US$15,600). Interestingly, when it first appeared at auction over two decades ago, it had been valued at only S$4,000 to S$6,000, reflecting the significant appreciation of its historical importance over the years.

Lee Kuan Yew served as Singapore's Minister Mentor from August 2004 until May 2011 after stepping down as Prime Minister. Even after leaving the Cabinet, he continued serving as a Member of Parliament until his passing on March 23, 2015, remaining one of the nation's most influential political figures.

The Montblanc pen is one of several notable lots featured in Hotlotz's August online auction, which also includes celebrated artworks by prominent Singaporean artists such as Chua Mia Tee, Chen Wen Hsi and centenarian artist Lim Tze Peng.

The auction is being conducted entirely online, with bidding scheduled to conclude on August 16 at 6 PM, while interested buyers can view the collection at the auction house's showroom before the sale closes. The pen's journey traces back to the 2003 Lee Kuan Yew Family Collection charity auction, an initiative led by Lee's late daughter, Lee Wei Ling, to raise funds for The Tent, a charity supporting vulnerable teenage girls.

The fundraiser featured 88 personal belongings collected by Lee and his family, attracting widespread public attention and generous bids.

One of the most remarkable items from that landmark charity auction was a black Waterman's fountain pen used by Lee Kuan Yew to sign the 1957 Constitutional Agreement with the British.

Although it carried a pre-sale estimate of around S$10,000, the pen eventually sold for an astounding S$350,000 to an anonymous businessman. Altogether, the charity auction generated approximately S$2.04 million, making it one of Singapore's most memorable fundraising events.