Levi Brown called himself "Champion of the World at Card Writing" and was able to write The Lord's Prayer & Ten Commandments "in the circumference smaller than a Gold Dollar".

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Levi Brown was first in the United States to manufacture gold pen nibs, known simply as “gold pens” at the time, with iridium tipping. After his move to New York to begin manufacture of gold pens tipped with iridium, Brown established a manufactory in Brooklyn. Although we have yet to figure out what year he began manufacture of his product we do know that Brown began to advertise Hawkins and Brown gold pens as early as November 21, 1839, in a Long Island newspaper. Advertisements sometimes mentioned Levi Brown gold pens or both Hawkins and Brown gold pens. This may be due to a supply of Hawkins produced gold pens that were brought over from London. (Note: If any followers acquired a Hawkins gold pen nib within the United States it would be helpful to early history to share this information.) I acquired a gold pen nib several years ago that is clearly early but only marked with a No. 3 inside an oval and no name. Is this a Hawkins gold pen?

Many writing instruments made within the USA did not contain maker marks. Some pen makers, like A.G. Bagley, were awarded patents that were identified by date markings on some products. Likewise, Bagley extension pen holders, both 1846 and 1850 patent versions, are easily identifiable and are often on the collector market today. Many Mabie products, marked with the Oct 3 1854 patent, are clearly actually Bagley extension pen holders with the Mabie internal design changes to the pencil extending mechanism.

Levi Brown was known for his large gold pen holders and today, if you are lucky enough to find one, are easily identified despite a lack of makers markings. An analysis of the finial atop Brown’s large gold pen products also provides a clue that correlates a gold pen holder with Levi Brown.