There was a day when we actually wrote with pens. That’s right. We had paper and we marked it by hand. All the time.

I wonder when pens will become only museum pieces. When kids will no longer even know what a pen is. Or learn penmanship. Not too far off, I would guess.

We had favorite pens, too. Fountain pens were very popular in the 1950s, ballpoints in the 1960s and when roller balls came out in the 1970s, I think, we thought them the pinnacle of smooth writing.

Having a beautiful pen whose grip was a perfect fit was a real luxury, but pens had other functions beyond writing. In the business world, Montblanc pens were often given as ceremonial gifts. They’d be used to sign merger or IPO documents and then presented to the executives

Do you remember when Cross pen and pencil sets were given as graduation gifts? That probably doesn’t happen much anymore. The last time I received a pen as a gift was the early 1990s.

I love beautiful pens and miss those days. In today’s electronic age pens are collectibles and little more. So I thought I’d see what pens looked like these days. I ended up finding some things of beauty — and doing a little dreaming — today.

Isn’t this Curtis Australia Jamestown Limited edition fountain pen stunning? It should be. It’s $2,400.

I’m wondering if the design makes the grip difficult. Surely not, for that much money. But oh, if I won the lottery, I would definitely consider buying this beautiful piece.

This Michel Perchin roller ball is also lovely. I’ve never used a $1,000 pen, but it would be such a pleasure to just look at in your hand, wouldn’t it? I’m sure it writes beautifully.

The red casing on this Aurora St. Petersburg caught my eye. It also comes in blue, but the red is really fun. But at $1,400, that kind of fun takes a fatter bank account than ours! Still, a girl can dream, can’t she?

If I were British aristocracy, I’d just have to have this elegant Queen Elizabeth pen by Montblanc. It’s a collectible, so limited an edition I couldn’t find a price. The intricate engraving on the nib is amazing.

All of those stunning, pricey pens makes this green tailored Pelikan Souveran seem absolutely a bargain! Only $880. It would be a great gift for the man who has everything. Even if all he did were sign checks.

Does anyone sign checks anymore? Or do we all pay bills online?

Evidence of how our world has changed can be found just about everywhere, it seems.