David Oscarson – Sir Alexander Fleming Collection - Blue

David Oscarson - Sir Alexander Fleming Collection

The Sir Alexander Fleming Collection is the twenty-third edition of the David Oscarson series and pays tribute to the man whose accidental observation fundamentally changed modern medicine. In 1928, Fleming discovered that a mold fungus killed bacteria. From this observation, penicillin was developed. The first effective drug against bacterial infections ushered in the age of antibiotics.

Fleming gained early recognition for his research on wound infections and lysozyme, but his breakthrough with penicillin made him world-famous. He was knighted in 1944, and in 1945 he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, jointly with Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain. During World War II, penicillin saved countless lives in British and American military hospitals and laid the foundation for modern infectious disease medicine.

The collection translates Fleming's scientific legacy into an artful object. His signature appears in high relief on the stem, a tribute to the millions of recipes exhibited since his discovery. The cap depicts Fleming's original Petri dish with the distinctive zone of bacterial inhibition that led to the discovery.

The background of the writing instrument is vertically engraved, crisscrossed with fine stems and spore structures. They are reminiscent of Penicillium under a microscope. The clip is modeled after an inoculation loop of the kind used in laboratories. The chemical formula of penicillin is engraved on the grip.

The collection is crafted from sterling silver, combined with multi-level guilloché engraving and hard enamel. Each component is fired multiple times and filed by hand until the characteristic glassy enamel finish is achieved.

The Sir Alexander Fleming Collection is available in three color variations and is limited to 73 pieces each, a reference to the years of his lifelong work and influence.