The Montblanc 281 is a ballpoint made between 1971 and 1979. The model number is normally stamped on the pen itself and is thus the surest guide to identification. Examples of this series are commonly met with and belonged even at the time to the inexpensive part of the range.
The explanation lies in the company's history: only from 1991 did Montblanc position itself consistently as a maker of luxury goods. Before that the range stretched from cheap school pens through everyday ballpoints to the Meisterstück, and the plain models were made in large numbers. The 281 is therefore worth little in money terms, far less than the name on it might suggest.
As a sturdy everyday pen, on the other hand, it remains entirely serviceable; a new refill is usually all it takes to put it back into use. If there is any doubt whether the refills sold today will fit the old body, a specialist dealer should check, as refill formats have changed over the decades. In such cases the sentimental value of an inherited pen usually far exceeds its market value.