18K Gold Signet
2002 Zippo Signet Lighter
18K Solid Gold, Limited to 300
Among Zippo’s most exclusive factory-issued commemoratives is the 2002 Signet Lighter, a special 18-karat solid-gold edition created to celebrate Zippo Manufacturing Company’s 70th Anniversary and to honour its founder, George G. Blaisdell. Only 300 examples were produced worldwide, commissioned by Zippo owners Sarah Dorn and George Duke. The Signet Lighter was formally unveiled during the 2002 Zippo/Case International Swap Meet in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Rather than using the contemporary Zippo case of the period, the Signet was manufactured to the specifications of the 1941-style lighter. Its case features the flatter surfaces and sharper edges associated with the early design, together with the characteristic four-barrel hinge. The case itself is made from solid 18-karat gold, while even the insert received special treatment—the insert, cam and flint wheel were plated in 18K gold specifically for this edition.
The most important feature, however, is the design engraved onto the face of the lighter. It reproduces the image found on the Zippo family signet ring, which was designed and crafted by Tiffany & Company. George G. Blaisdell commissioned a small number of these rings beginning in the 1940s and presented them to members of his direct family. The signet design incorporates early Zippo imagery together with the words ZIPPO, BRADFORD, PENNA., and the Latin word LABORANT, meaning “they work”—a particularly appropriate motto for a product whose reputation was built around reliability.
Each of the 300 Signet Lighters was individually numbered and decorated using Zippo’s traditional pantograph engraving process. The hinge side carries special markings identifying the lighter: “GGB 1941” for George G. Blaisdell and the model upon which it was based, together with “2002” for its year of issue. The opposite side is marked “18K”, confirming the precious-metal construction. A specially created bottom stamp further identifies the lighter as the GGB 1941 edition. Significantly, after the 300th and final lighter was stamped, Zippo deliberately rendered the special stamping die inoperable, guaranteeing that the edition could never be extended beyond the original 300 pieces.
The significance of particular serial numbers was recognised from the beginning. No. 1 was retained by Sarah Dorn, while George Duke selected No. 107, referencing the 107th anniversary of his grandfather George G. Blaisdell's birth. No. 70, appropriately representing Zippo's 70th Anniversary, was auctioned at the 2002 Swap Meet and achieved US$6,250. No. 7 was reserved to be awarded to a member of the newly established Zippo Click collectors' club.
Presentation was equally elaborate. Each lighter was supplied in a handcrafted cherry-wood presentation box made in Bradford from Pennsylvania hardwood, with a granite plaque carrying the Signet design set into the lid. Inside, the lighter rests in burgundy satin, while an antique-brass Zippo medallion decorates the interior. Each set also contains an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity personally signed by Sarah Dorn and George Duke, making the original packaging and documentation an integral part of a complete Signet set.
A Unique Piece of Zippo History
The 18K Signet occupies a particularly unusual position in Zippo history. It combines three elements rarely brought together in a single factory lighter: the 1941 historical case design, the Blaisdell family's Tiffany-designed signet, and a case constructed entirely from 18-karat solid gold. Its strictly controlled production of only 300 pieces—reinforced by the destruction of the dedicated bottom-stamp die—also separates it from Zippo's regular solid-gold offerings.
Zippo continues to manufacture extremely high-end 18K solid-gold lighters, including modern standard and Armor versions, but these should not be confused with the individually numbered 2002 GGB 1941 Signet edition.
