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No. 222 & 224
1936 catalogue
The 22x was a mid-tiered push-knob filler series introduced by Montblanc in the mid-1930s and produced till the early 1940s. The smallest versions - 220 and 221 - were mostly streamlined designs (torpedo-shaped cap tops). The 222 and 224 were flat tops and were intended to replace the No. 15 and No. 17 1/2 models. These two models were among the larger ones in the series, but they were still quite modest in size.
1930s catalogue
The 22x were available in a variety of colours including black, azurite blue, burgundy red, brown/ blue/ green/ red/ grey marbled, and even silver and gold overlay. However, these colours and variants came in and out of the series at different times based on changing market trends. A 1936 catalogue mentioned that, "the coloured pens are subject to fashion, so changes to the colour range are reserved".
Pic Credit: The Montblnc Diary & Collector's Guide by Jens Rosler
This green malachite 224 is an exceptional example of a rather collectible colour. I have always steered clear of malachite pens because I never saw examples that did not have discoloured and mismatched barrels and caps. See examples in the attached picture from The Montblanc Diary. So, when I happened to receive this particular pen for restoration, I knew it was special and made an offer to buy it! Pictures do not do justice to the near-perfect or mint condition it is in - there is close to zero visible discoloration and the barrel and cap are perfectly matched in the shade and tone of their colour. The 224 has a size 4 nib, made of 14c gold as expected. It has the pushknob filling unit as expected as well. According to Collectible Stars I this colour was available only between 1935-37, making it rather rare.
The platinum lined 222 is a rare pen too, and was made between 1935-43. Interestingly, this particular 222 is a button filler instead of the push-knob filler or Stoßfüller that the model was advertised by MB as. This is not uncommon. A knowledgable dealer I know says he has personally examined about seven No. 222 pens in different colours all with push buttons. How can this be? One possibility is that MBs assembled in different countries might not have been too particular about standardizing their parts and might have used the easier button filler mechanism. Another explanation is that the push-knob pens were converted into button fillers by repairmen of the past.
For bibliography, see Resources page -->link
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