I looked at a 1970 Iwan Ries catalog on pipepages.com, and it shows various Punto Oro's in a finish they are calling Black Bark. Unfortunately the image quality is not the best and it's difficult to tell if this is the same finish. It looks like it could be. Still it doesn't account for Roccia di Mare. It seems possible Savinelli ran into trouble with Castello and their Sea Rock finish, and withdrew Roccia di Mare to avoid ruffling any feathers. That's all speculation, of course.
This also brings up the question of dating Savinelli pipes. It seems most commonly agreed that Savinelli switched from four digit shape numbers to three in the early seventies. But there are people claiming sixties, with Mr. Can claiming prior to 1960. I have a few clues to help date these more accurately but it would require backup evidence from someone with information that I don't have.
So here's the thing, I also own a Punto Oro Corallo di Mare 504. This pipe was also acquired unsmoked with the original box and box contents.
To compare the 504 and the 4001:
On the surface, I'd already assume that the 504 is more recent production than the 4001 if I go by the shape numbers, but it turns out that isn't true. The shape chart in the catalog that came with the 504 shows three, 3-digit shapes alongside a majority of 4-digit shapes; the 3-digit shapes being the 504, 502, and 623. So 3 and 4-digit shapes did coexist at one time. Here's where it gets possible to narrow in on a more precise year. In the catalog I'm referring to, the only models offered are the Giubeleo D'oro, Punto Oro, Deluxe Milano, and Extra. I also have the catalog that came with the 4001 but remember the box says 401. This catalog only shows 3-digit shapes so it must be more recent. It also has more models listed, including the Corallo di Mare which was not included in the older catalog. The Capri line is also now present along with many others. If anyone knows when these models were introduced, it would narrow things down a bit.
Here are a few other clues:
Both pipes came with gold-plated, removable inner tubes. They are identical except the newer one from the 401 box has two extra holes in the side of it while the older 504 tube is solid with no holes. Also, and this is super minutiae, the drawstring on the pipe sock from the 401 box is white, while the 504 is brown. And, more minutiae, the 401 box has a sticker indicating the finish and shape number, while the 504 box is rubber-stamped on the bottom "504" and "Corallo". Again, if anyone can pinpoint these details, it would help narrow down production years. I'm thinking that my 4001 is probably a late production 4-digit that ended up in a 401 box, and probably happened at the factory when they still had 4-digit pipes but had switched to the 3-digit system. I bought the 4001 NOS from the leftover stock of a shop that closed in 1972, and it came with everything brand new and untouched, pipe sock, inner tube, and catalog.
Maybe I'll get around to posting pictures of all this if anyone cares, where's misterlowercase when you need him? Please forgive my rambling and any incoherency. I typed all this out on an iPhone. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...
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