Old GBD Rhodesian 9438 Prehistoric Pipe

Description

You are bidding on an older GBD Rhodesian Prehistoric, 9438. I believe it is a pre-1981 pipe.  It has been well-smoked.  The finish looks to me as if some of the stain may have faded.  I reamed out the bowl, but not completely (as I didn't want to wreck anything) and did a moderate cleaning.  The saddle stem is a clear Perspex stem and appears to be in nice condition (while the bowl and rim show the pipe is well used, the stem looks a lot less so -- if it's a replacement, it's the correct replacement for the GBD 9438 and has the GBD logo on it).  This particular pipe is one of the GBD favorites.  Deeply sandblasted, it does show off some nice cross grain.  Inscriptions on the shank's underbelly: "GBD," "London England," "Prehistoric," and "9438."   Pipedia notes that the Prehistoric model is one of the higher GBD grades (which places it prior to 1981).  Of that model a 1973 chart of pipe lines states:
Prehistoric Perspex
: "The deep sandblasting sillhouettes the grain in bold relief. The crystal clear mouthpiece creates an attractive contrast to the deep dark finish."   The straight line "London England" also indicates a pre-1981 date. (After 1981, GBD merged with another pipe company, and GBD pipes since then have not, supposedly, been as good).