Today from here is a noname flat-sided silver, gravity-operated dropper pencil Deploying the pencil section for writing, one holds the pencil vertically and pushes down on the button. The pencil section will drop out of the bottom of the case by the force of gravity to the stop/write position. The procedure is reversed for storage (gravity again). Circa later 19th - early 20th centuries. Likely made in America or England. The piece is 3 1/8 inches long in the closed position.