Secured under the clip of this pencil and visible through a pane of celluloid is a tiny stack of calenders, one for each month of the year 1919.

Broker's pencils were fairly common in the early 20th century. They had a very fat lead and usually a decorated barrel, sometimes in precious metal; an indication that they were not suited for the artist's or draftsman's studio but belonged in a more genteel environment. Such pencils were used on the trading floor to jot down bids on small pieces of paper which needed to be visible from afar, hence the thick lead.