Older Meisterstück ballpoints were partly made with, partly without the Pix inscription on the middle ring; the absence is therefore no indication of a counterfeit. The Pix inscription was added in the course of the model history and is on newer writing instruments often to be found on the inside of the clip. A slight reddish shimmer on black Montblanc pens is even a reliable authenticity feature and arises through a very high concentration of the black dye in the plastic. Many counterfeits do not show this property.