Anneca Posted 26 January , 2012 Share Posted 26 January , 2012 My Grandfather brought this little object back from Egypt and it sat on my parents' mantelpiece for many years. When I started school sixty years ago it became known as my 'little bomb' and each weekend a silver sixpence was inside. Over the years as I got older the 'little bomb' produced pocket money of a shilling every week, then a two shilling piece, then a half crown. It magically continued to yield pocket money until I was in my teenage years and during all of that time no one was ever seen putting money into it. The outside seems to be made of brass and the inside is a grey metal. It has 'Egypt 1917' on one side and on the reverse at one time were my Grandfather's initials 'J McC'. Unfortunately the initials are no longer visible due to cleaning with metal polish over the years. I would imagine it was brought back from the Great War as a souvenir but am interested to discover if it was a munition of some kind. It is 3" long by 2" wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tipperary Posted 26 January , 2012 Share Posted 26 January , 2012 Hi Anneca i dont know about it being a munition i think it was probably a tobbaco or ciggie tin made localy and sold to tommy as souveneir of Egypt.It could very well be made from ex war department metal though.Does it still produce pocket money or is it worn out john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbox Posted 26 January , 2012 Share Posted 26 January , 2012 Its not a munition, and from the construction it doesn't look as if it has any military connection. To me it looks like a locally-made trinket - a tobacco tin, or similar. The Egyptian souvenir vendors had a vast trade in this sort of stuff to the thousands of allied troops passing through Cairo and the Canal Zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 26 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2012 Thanks for that John and Thunderbox. Interesting thought about the possibility of it being made from ex War Dept. medal. I'm afraid the money dried up many years ago and if the magic decided to come back again I'm afraid Tesco or Sainsburys would hardly take £sd! Anne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 26 January , 2012 Share Posted 26 January , 2012 Hi Anneca i dont know about it being a munition i think it was probably a tobbaco or ciggie tin made localy and sold to tommy as souveneir of Egypt.It could very well be made from ex war department metal though.Does it still produce pocket money or is it worn out john Possibly a snuff box. Tip - leaving it at the widdershins end of a rainbow over night will certainly restore its magical powers. It's 15 years (how time flies) since I last explored the Cairo Souk but then you could still find stalls that'd turn something like that out for you while you went off and found a nice traditional coffee shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 26 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2012 Snuff box looks good! I'll take your tip in the hope it generates some present day currency. (even the coffee equivalent would be good) Possibly a snuff box. Tip - leaving it at the widdershins end of a rainbow over night will certainly restore its magical powers. It's 15 years (how time flies) since I last explored the Cairo Souk but then you could still find stalls that'd turn something like that out for you while you went off and found a nice traditional coffee shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pioneecorps Posted 26 January , 2012 Share Posted 26 January , 2012 Snuff box looks good! I'll take your tip in the hope it generates some present day currency. (even the coffee equivalent would be good) Hi. Was your Grandad ever a miner after WW1, these were well used as snuff box's by them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 27 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 27 January , 2012 If the little box had been in the shape of a horse's shoe it would have been appropriate as he was a blacksmith. Interesting to hear these were used as snuff boxes by miners though. I wonder if blacksmiths were used in the Great War for horses. Probably not in his case as he was in the AOC. Hi. Was your Grandad ever a miner after WW1, these were well used as snuff box's by them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 27 January , 2012 Share Posted 27 January , 2012 If the little box had been in the shape of a horse's shoe it would have been appropriate as he was a blacksmith. Interesting to hear these were used as snuff boxes by miners though. I wonder if blacksmiths were used in the Great War for horses. Probably not in his case as he was in the AOC. Given that "The Village Blacksmith" is an AOC march and Blacksmith was a trade in the AOC he would have had work to do. However probably not with horses. Blacksmiths did work with metal (which might include making horseshoes) but Farriers fitted shoes to horses. In civilian life some blacksmiths were also farriers. As a pupil at a Grammar-Tech I used to do smithing and foundry theory before English Lit and can vaguely remember being taught how to make a shoe but we never saw a horse (except as I darkly suspect at school dinners). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 28 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2012 I was interested to hear 'The Village Blacksmith' is an AOC march. I do remember Longfellow's poem of the same name: "Under a spreading Chestnut tree The village smithy stands The smith, a mighty man is he With large and sinewy hands And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands" After reading your post I looked up some information on my Grandad. The descriptions of his occupation, both before and after the Great War are varied according to Census and Street Directory information from various years. He is described as being a Smith's Helper, Blacksmith, Smithy, Farrier, Soldier. I would assume that his occupation would have determined the Corps into which he would have been drafted on enlistment. ............. Regarding your conclusion about the school dinners, I have to agree with you on this one! Given that "The Village Blacksmith" is an AOC march and Blacksmith was a trade in the AOC he would have had work to do. However probably not with horses. Blacksmiths did work with metal (which might include making horseshoes) but Farriers fitted shoes to horses. In civilian life some blacksmiths were also farriers. As a pupil at a Grammar-Tech I used to do smithing and foundry theory before English Lit and can vaguely remember being taught how to make a shoe but we never saw a horse (except as I darkly suspect at school dinners). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 28 January , 2012 Share Posted 28 January , 2012 A much parodied work. Underneath a spreading chestnut tree The village burglar lies The burglar is a hairy man with whiskers round his eyes He goes to church on Sundays to hear the parson shout He puts a penny in the plate and takes a pound note out And weeps a little tear in case he is found out or later Underneath a spreading chestnut tree Mr Chamberlain said to me How'd you like to get your gask mask free? Join your local ARP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 28 January , 2012 Share Posted 28 January , 2012 Possibly a snuff box. Tip - leaving it at the widdershins end of a rainbow over night will certainly restore its magical powers. Nah, this is from Egypt, remember... it will definitely need to be left overnight under a correctly-oriented megalithic-scale model of the Great Pyramid, along with any razor-blades that need sharpening. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 28 January , 2012 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2012 Very very good - you should start a topic about this type of poetry, relating to the Great War of course in fear of reprimand! A much parodied work. Underneath a spreading chestnut tree The village burglar lies The burglar is a hairy man with whiskers round his eyes He goes to church on Sundays to hear the parson shout He puts a penny in the plate and takes a pound note out And weeps a little tear in case he is found out or later Underneath a spreading chestnut tree Mr Chamberlain said to me How'd you like to get your gask mask free? Join your local ARP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 1 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2012 MikB - I decided to polish my 'little bomb' today and while I was rubbing it a genie popped out. He asked me to send you this specific message before he shot back in again. Cheers! مصغر للهرم بفضلفإن الجنيلا تريد أن تترك بين عشية وضحاها تحت أي نموذج Nah, this is from Egypt, remember... it will definitely need to be left overnight under a correctly-oriented megalithic-scale model of the Great Pyramid, along with any razor-blades that need sharpening. Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auchonvillerssomme Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 That type of box sells extremely well here in West Yorkshire, the connection of this type of box with the pits and their use for chewing tobacco makes them popular. Everyone remembers grandad had one and his hawking black lumps of chewy baccy and coal dust into the fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geraint Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Very similar to the colliers snuff boxes from the NE Wales coalfield as well. Digress Underneath the spreading chestnut bough Sat a young milkmaid milking a cow. Along came the farmer and gave her the sack! So she turned the cow over and poured the milk back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 1 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Hi Geraint and Auchonvillerssomme Interesting that both of you identify this with similar snuff and tobacco boxes as has several other members. I am starting to wonder if my Grandad bought it in England or Wales before he went off to the Great War and had it engraved in Egypt in 1917. I Suppose it's a possibility. I had never thought of this before and had assumed he had brought it back from Egypt. Thanks for this (and the poetry wasn't bad either). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 MikB - I decided to polish my 'little bomb' today and while I was rubbing it a genie popped out. He asked me to send you this specific message before he shot back in again. Cheers! مصغر للهرم بفضلفإن الجنيلا تريد أن تترك بين عشية وضحاها تحت أي نموذج Hmmm... "Of a small pyramid thanks the Ganala want to be left overnight under any model" One of the translation sites wondered if this was meant to be a negative - well, it could be a bit dark and rather confined under there... Next time you see him, could you ask him to elaborate a bit? Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 1 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Had a quick word and he said 'The genie would not like to be left overnight under ANY scale model of the pyramid' I reckon he's quite angry you couldn't translate! Hmmm... "Of a small pyramid thanks the Ganala want to be left overnight under any model" One of the translation sites wondered if this was meant to be a negative - well, it could be a bit dark and rather confined under there... Next time you see him, could you ask him to elaborate a bit? Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikB Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Had a quick word and he said 'The genie would not like to be left overnight under ANY scale model of the pyramid' I reckon he's quite angry you couldn't translate! Well, I'm sorry to have offended him, but ask him to remember I didn't know he was in residence when I suggested it. No 3 wishes for me then... Regards, MikB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 1 February , 2012 Share Posted 1 February , 2012 Well, I'm sorry to have offended him, but ask him to remember I didn't know he was in residence when I suggested it. No 3 wishes for me then... Regards, MikB I understand that he can be placated with a Djinn and tonic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anneca Posted 2 February , 2012 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2012 mythologically very funny centurion! I understand that he can be placated with a Djinn and tonic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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