In celebration of the Semiquincentennial of the United States, David Oscarson proudly presents the America the Beautiful Collection: a Limited Edition fountain pen inspired by Katharine Lee Bates’ timeless hymn and the enduring ideals of Freedom, Providence, and Brotherhood.

As with all Oscarson creations, the America the Beautiful Collection is crafted from solid Sterling Silver, featuring multiple levels of Guilloché engraving and the art of kiln-fired Hot Enamel. Every detail honors the symbols, poetry, and history of America’s founding and its continued pursuit of liberty and unity.

The cap of the America the Beautiful Fountain Pen features the American Bald Eagle, wings outstretched, engraved in high and low relief and overlaid across the Star-Spangled Banner. Above, rays of light radiate in high relief, while sunburst Guilloché shimmers beneath translucent Hot Enamel, recalling Bates’ lyric: “God shed His grace on thee.”

The clip is fashioned as an elongated scroll of the Constitution of the United States, engraved with the opening words of the Preamble: “We the People.” The Liberty Bell also adorns the scroll, a reminder of its eternal inscription: “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land unto All the Inhabitants thereof.”

The crown of the cap is adorned with three clasping hands in mid relief, symbolizing unity and brotherhood, from Bates’ lyric: “And crown thy good with brotherhood.” Encircling the crown are three high relief silver stars, representing the three branches of government — Legislative, Executive, and Judicial — and, at a deeper level, the divine Godhead. At the top of the cap, in high relief, appear the Latin words Annuit Coeptis, meaning “He has approved our undertakings,” a phrase drawn from the Great Seal of the United States and from Virgil’s poetry, first proposed by Charles Thomson in 1782.

The pen barrel evokes the imagery of Bates’ lyric: “O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain.” In rich translucent enamel over multi-leveled guilloché, fields of wheat fade into plowed farmland and trees, with distant mountains rising beneath a vast open sky.

At the base of the barrel, the Latin words from the Great Seal, Novus Ordo Seclorum appear in high relief — “A New Order of the Ages” — symbolizing the nation’s founding vision and its enduring legacy. On the endcap, the initials USA appear boldly, flanked by two stars, with the years 1776 and 2026 in raised relief against a field of opaque black enamel, commemorating 250 years of liberty.

The gripping section bears an engraved stanza from Bates’ hymn: “America! America! God shed His grace on thee. From sea to shining sea!”

Each element of the America the Beautiful Collection has been carefully chosen to reflect the spirit of the nation — its origins, its struggles, and its triumphs — united under Providence.

The America the Beautiful Collection is the 42^nd in the David Oscarson™ Collection. Produced in six primary color variations, each will be limited to 76 pieces, including Fountain Pen and Roller Ball styles, honoring the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America.

Hard Enamel

The America The Beautiful Collection continues in the spirit of artistic mastery and the tradition of Old World craftsmanship by combining the centuries-old technique of Guilloché with the art and expertise of Hard Enamel.

Using a mortar and pestle, a composition of glass, water and metal oxides is ground for hours by hand. When settled, the water is removed, leaving the fine paste that is the basis for hard enamel. A quill is then used to apply each coat of the mixture to the surface of the metal, ensuring that the entire guilloché area is completely covered in enamel. The components are then fired in a furnace at temperatures exceeding 1,000° F, fusing the enamel to the metal and forming a layer of glass.

After cooling, the pieces are manually ground with a diamond file, restoring their proper shape and surface. This tedious process is repeated at length until the level of enamel reaches the depth required to cover the peaks and fill the valleys of each intricate guilloché pattern. When the final stages of firing are completed, the pieces are polished and buffed, revealing the velvet finish of translucent hard enamel.

Production of translucent hard enamel demands the highest levels of patience, experience and skill. A five-year apprenticeship is required to ensure that the highest levels of quality will be met in each individual Collection piece.

The America The Beautiful will be produced in the following color variations:
Translucent Sapphire Gold Vermeil
Translucent Sapphire Silver
Translucent Onyx Gold Vermeil
Translucent Onyx Silver
Translucent Light Blue Gold Vermeil
Translucent Alabaster Gold Vermeil