Quote Originally Posted by Ahriman4891 View Post
I notice that a lot of limited edition Italian pens come in series numbering (88 + 100x). The various colors of Aurora modern flex, 188 each, and the Nebulosa (888 if I recall). Stipula and Visconti have similarly numbered limiteds. Not to mention the Aurora 88 pen. So, why do Italians love this number so much? "Ottantotto" does roll off the tongue nicely, but surely there must be something else. A post on FPN chronicling the history of Aurora 88 mentions that it was a nod to the Parker 51, but why this particular number?

Wikipedia lists a lot of interesting tidbits, but nothing specifically about Italy. I think it's safe to assume they are not targeting the Far East clientelle (certainly they were not back in 1946, when they made the first Aurora 88), and that this has nothing to do with the neo-Nazi numerology. After some more googling, I learned about the 88th Infantry Division, which was the first to enter Rome in 1944. This could explain the Aurora 88 in the post-war years, but not the pervasive use of the number nowadays.
88
The year of the "Depeche Mode-101" tour