The Other Articles of Impeachment

"Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to keep silent, on pain of imprisonment..."

- PHILIP J. ROSS

So began a profound chapter in American history, and so, too, began the gathering of collectibles associated with the impeachment and trial of President William Jefferson Clinton.

The Oath-Signing Pens

For Pen World International readers, the most interesting and elusive items from the impeachment trial are the pens used by the senators to sign the impeachment trial oath book. On the first day of the trial, after the chief justice administered the oath to the assembled senators, a clerk called out each senator's name. Each was given a signing pen from a group of pens lined up beside the oath book. Using these pens, the senators signed and pledged to "do impartial justice" in the trial.

Senate officials decided a signing pen would be an appropriate memento of the occasion. The office of the Secretary of the Senate housed a box of black and silver-tone Parker Vector pens of the type normally reserved for Senate ceremonial purposes. No one had any reason to believe the pens would be unique in any way. As they were not specifically ordered from Parker for the proceedings, the pens bore an inscription that was not linked in any way to the impeachment, and did not bear any date. As history would have it, though, these pens would soon prove to be highly unique.