{
  "id": 1284191,
  "title": "Lee Kuan Yew’s Montblanc pen sells for US$360,000 in Singapore auction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/lee-kuan-yews-montblanc-pen-sells-for-us-360-000-in-singapore-auction",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-16T14:20:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3364212/lee-kuan-yews-montblanc-pen-sells-us360000-singapore-auction"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A Montblanc fountain pen once owned by Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, has sold for US$360,000 at an auction in Singapore, nearly ten times its highest estimate. The sterling silver Montblanc Meisterstuck No 146, engraved with \"SM Lee Kuan Yew,\" was auctioned by Hotlotz in its \"Interiors & Collectibles – August, Fine Art Focus\" online event. The pen had a presale valuation of S$30,000 to S$50,000, with bidding starting at S$20,000. Lee Kuan Yew, widely regarded as the founding father of modern Singapore, served as the country's prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and held the position of senior minister until 2004, before becoming Singapore's first and only minister mentor from 2004 to 2011.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}