Compiled from 11 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
Pelikan's own timeline lists 43 Limited Editions from 1993 to 2022, and 39 state a size, from 238 to 5,000 pieces. Its Special Editions are sold in limited quantity, and Pelikan gives a number for only one. Pelikan Passion's archive and timeline cover every year; the Collector's Book covers 1993 to 2020.
On this page12 sections
The 40 Years of Souverän limited edition (2022), capped, 14.2 cm, drawn at 1 mm = 5 px.
Varies by edition: precious resin, cellulose acetate, sterling silver or gold plating, 14- or 18-carat gold nibs (per Pelikan Passion)
Released
1993*
Price range
$$$$over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count)
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Notes on these facts
Made by Pelikan Group GmbH (Germany), owned by Hamelin since December 13, 2023. Made in Germany: Pelikan's page for the Special Edition Souverän 800 Green Demonstrator says "Quality, made in Germany"; its Classic special edition pages say "Manufactured and assembled in Germany", and the 40 Years of Souverän page says each pen is assembled by hand. We read those pages on October 28, 2026 and did not check every edition since 1993. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pelikan's Collector's Book page says the first Limited Edition was launched in 1993; its timeline lists Blue Ocean under 1993.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Pelikan Passion's timeline lists 43 Limited Editions from 1993 to 2022; 39 give a size, from 238 to 5,000 pieces.
Every sized Limited Edition since 2003 is 930 pieces or fewer; the 2022 40 Years of Souverän M800 is 888, each with its own serial number.
The timeline labels 19 pens Special Edition between 2002 and 2011, and Pelikan states a size for one of them: Madrid, 500 pieces.
Pelikan's Collector's Book covers every Special and Limited Edition from 1993 to 2020 in 280 pages and was priced at €99.99 (about US$112).
Pelikan gives an unlimited warranty on limited edition pens, except the Maki-e and Raden surface finish, and three years on Premium and Classic pens.
What are Pelikan’s limited and special editions?
Pelikan sells two kinds: Limited Editions, which usually carry a stated number, and Special Editions, which are limited in quantity or time. Pelikan Passion’s archive says Limited Editions are “limited to only a few pieces”, and its Special Editions page says each one “is available only in limited quantity”.
Pelikan’s Collector’s Book page dates the first Limited Edition to 1993. Most of them sit on the Pelikan Souverän M800 or the larger M1000, and our Pelikan history covers the company.
Which Pelikan limited editions came out each year?
Pelikan’s timeline lists 43 Limited Editions from 1993 to 2022, and 39 give a size. Sizes below are Pelikan’s own, in pieces; Asia marks the five editions Pelikan labels for Asia.
Year
Limited Editions (pieces)
1993
Blue Ocean (5,000)
1994
Hunting (3,000)
1995
Wall Street (2,600); Golden Dynasty (not stated)
1996
Golf (4,500); Concerto (4,000); 1000 Years of Austria (1,000); Golden Phoenix (888, Asia)
1997
1931 Gold (5,000)
1998
1935 Green (4,000); Humankind (1,997); Genesis of the Olympiad (776); Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur (888, Asia)
1999
Nature (1,999)
2000
Technology (2,000); 1931 White-Gold (1,931); White Tiger (888, Asia)
2001
1935 Blue (1,935); Xuan Wu (800, Asia); Daedalus-Icarus (800)
2002
Spirit of Gaudi (1,000); Charlotte & Marguerite (500); Kirin (888, Asia)
2003
Myth of the Moon Goddess (568); Toledo 1931 (not stated)
2004
Hercules (800); The Pyramids of Giza (445); Anniversary Pen (238)
2005
Caelum (580); The Colossus of Rhodes (408)
2006
Blue Planet (540); The Temple of Artemis (440)
2007
Evolution of Script (930); The Lighthouse of Alexandria (440)
2008
Calculation of Times (760)
2009
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (410); Silver Screen (not stated)
2010
Fire (500)
2013
M101N Jubilee Pen (238)
2017
The Statue of Zeus (300)
2018
Spirit of 1838 (not stated)
2019
Herzstück 1929 (500)
2022
40 Years of Souverän (888)
The runs shrank: every sized edition since 2003 is 930 pieces or fewer.
How big were the runs?
Sizes run from 238 to 5,000 pieces, and the 39 stated sizes add up to 55,375 pens (our sum). Eight editions made between 1993 and 2000 reached 2,000 or more; 27 of the 39 are 1,000 or fewer.
Pelikan states no size for Golden Dynasty (1995), Toledo 1931 (2003), Silver Screen (2009) or Spirit of 1838 (2018). Don’t assume a number for those.
Which special editions has Pelikan released?
The timeline labels 19 pens Special Edition between 2002 and 2011, and from 2020 Pelikan’s product pages carry a Special edition tag on Souverän colors. Pelikan states a size for one: Madrid, 500 pieces.
Years
Special Editions
2002–2006
City and landmark series on the M600: Berlin, Stockholm, San Francisco, Madrid (500), Chicago, New York City, Athens, Shanghai, Piazza Navona, Place de la Concorde, Piccadilly Circus, Grand Place
2007–2011
On the M640: Niagara Falls, Sahara, Polar Lights, Mount Everest, Indian Summer, Eternal Ice; Demonstrator (2011, M1000)
815 Metal Striped Blue; 600 White and Rose Gold; 600 Art Collection; 805 Metal Sleeve; 809 Black Matt
The 2024 Cream Blue pairs a midnight-blue barrel with a cream tone, an 18-carat nib and gold-plated trim, and Pelikan says it is available “only for a limited time”. Pelikan’s small pens have their own yearly colors: see Pelikan Classic 200 and 205 special editions.
What about the Maki-e and Raden pens?
Pelikan states a size for most of them: 88 to 123 for single Maki-e pens and 200 to 388 for Raden. The 2005 to 2015 Maki-e singles are 88 each, 2017 to 2019 are 111, and 2019 to 2022 are 123; sets run from 20 (2001) to 250 (2008).
Raden runs were 200 (2006, 2011), 300 (2013), 333 (2014, 2016, 2018) and 388 (2017). Pelikan’s timeline gives no size for the Raden pens of 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 or the Maki-e pens of 2023 to 2025, and its warranty excludes their surface finish.
What is the 40 Years of Souverän edition?
It is an M800 limited to 888 pieces worldwide, launched in 2022 to mark 40 years of the Souverän name. Pelikan says each pen has an individual serial number and a signed certificate, a golden ring with diamond-ground lines, and an 18-carat gold nib.
Pelikan lists it at 14.2 cm closed and 36 g, in black-and-green stripes, with a cube-shaped gift box and a flacon of dark-green 4001 ink with an anniversary label.
Where can you find older Pelikan limited editions?
Start with Pelikan Passion’s archive and timeline, then the Collector’s Book, which covers every special and limited edition from 1993 to 2020. The timeline gives each pen’s base model, nib and plating, and the archive groups the series.
The book has 280 pages, is in German and English, and was published in April 2021 at €99.99 (about US$112) RRP, per Pelikan. We couldn’t check second-hand markets, so we can’t say what older editions sell for or how many remain.
How do you care for and check a limited edition?
Pelikan says to rinse a daily-use pen once a year, an occasional one every six months, and never to use detergent. Its warranty page gives limited edition pens an unlimited warranty, and three years for Premium and Classic pens.
On authenticity, Pelikan describes only the serial number and certificate of the 40 Years edition. We found no general check for older pens, so ask the seller for the edition name and size from the timeline.
What do Pelikan special editions cost in the US?
On October 28, 2026 Goulet Pens listed current Souverän special editions from US$712 to US$2,000. That puts them in our $$$$ band, over $75 per pen. We don’t track stock.
Special edition
Goulet Pens, October 28, 2026
M800 Cream Blue
US$712
M809 Black Matte
US$920
M805 Metal Sleeve
US$1,000
Toledo M910 White
US$2,000
Frequently asked questions
What was Pelikan's first limited edition?
Blue Ocean, in 1993. Pelikan's timeline lists it on the M800 base with an 18-carat gold nib, sterling silver plating, blue transparent cap and barrel, and an edition of 5,000 pieces.
Which Pelikan limited edition had the biggest run?
Two share it at 5,000 pieces each: Blue Ocean (1993) and 1931 Gold (1997), per Pelikan's timeline. The smallest sized runs are 238 pieces: the 2004 Anniversary Pen and the 2013 M101N Jubilee Pen.
Are Pelikan special editions numbered?
Not as far as Pelikan states. It gives a quantity for one special edition, Madrid (2002, 500 pieces), and calls the rest limited in quantity or time. The 40 Years of Souverän limited edition does carry individual serial numbers.
What is a Pelikan Asia edition?
A limited edition Pelikan's timeline marks for Asia. It lists five, from 1996 to 2002, at 800 to 888 pieces: Golden Phoenix, Commonwealth Games Kuala Lumpur, White Tiger, Xuan Wu and Kirin.
Does Pelikan still make limited editions?
Yes. The newest sized Limited Edition in the timeline is 40 Years of Souverän (2022, 888). Maki-e and Raden pens continue to 2025 without a stated size, and special editions continue in 2026 with the Classic 200 Cherry Blossom.
Do limited edition Pelikans come with a warranty?
Yes: Pelikan's warranty page lists an unlimited warranty on limited edition pens, with the Maki-e and Raden surface finish excluded because each is handmade art. Premium and Classic pens get three years from purchase.
Is there a book of every Pelikan limited edition?
Pelikan's Collector's Book, published in April 2021, shows all Special and Limited Editions from 1993 to 2020 in chronological order and by series, in German and English. It runs to 280 pages.
