Pelikan had been concentrating on the school pen "Pelikano" business in the 1970's. The fountain pens for adults had been treated rather "stepmotherly" for years. At the end of the 1970s, there was a slight upturn in the adult fountain pen business: a new initiative was launched in 1979 with the model Signum. The name "Signum" was derived from the Latin "signum" (a mark written, impressed, affixed, etc., for establishing position, ownership, etc.). The model was characterized by a slim metal body. There was no longer anything on the slim stick clip that reminded one of a pelican's head or beak. Pelikan adopted a snap-on cap for the first time. All models had a black grip section. The model kept the cartridge filling system which was thought to be appealing to adults. The model also featured an open nib. Despite Pelikan's advertisements, the Signum was not a success. The success of M400 enabled Pelikan to decide to fade the Signum from the market. The Signum was discontinued in 1988. But, its concept was carried over to the model New Classic, introduced in 1992.