Well, before we get any "mini-scandals" going:biggrin:, let me toss in some clarification along with an apology to anyone who may have read this different from my intent. These were not commissioned by the State of Missouri. These were not commissioned by a political party in Missouri. These were not commissioned by employees of the State. I can see where using "out-of-staters" for State business would raise questions, and rightly so. The gentleman who commissioned these pens is a repeat customer of mine. I define a "commission" as anytime a customer hires me to create an item that is required to meet certain criteria or thematic elements. I appreciate the trust and loyalty he shows me by continuing to use my services for specialty items, whether to commerate a specific event or just to provide a unique hand-crafted item in today's mass produced world. Given that this gentleman does business in multiple states (we originally connected as a result of business interests he has in Texas), I would think it unreasonable to expect him to find a craftsman/craftswoman specific to each locale he either has friends/family members/associates or does business in.