Guest Bert Posted 28 August , 2004 Share Posted 28 August , 2004 I'm sure everyone is familiar with the common, or garden-variety, Princess Mary's 1914 Christmas Gift to the Troops tin, which bears her profile on the lid. Here is an odd variation with the date substituted for the portrait, and much of the decorative miscellanea reproduced in simplified form, or omitted altogether. This tin appears to have been fabricated using heavy sheet brass, with a simple friction-fit lid (the ordinary one is assembled from two embossed pieces and hinged) which was photo-etched, rather than struck from a die. Reenactor's fantasy? Villain's extempore entrepreneurial effort? Any opinions, or intelligence, gratefully received and acknowledged. PS: We have taken into account the Muslim prejudice against unveiled female faces, and considered the possibility that this tin was intended for distribution to the Imperial troops of that religious inclination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Reed Posted 28 August , 2004 Share Posted 28 August , 2004 It's a modern copy ("fake"?) made in Russia. I posted a tread about these somewhere on the forum a year or so ago; maybe longer? I seem to remember they were being sold for $5 retail, or something like that. I have already seen them with dealers being described as "POW made"!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 28 August , 2004 Share Posted 28 August , 2004 V. many thanks to Brig. Gen'l Reed. Yes, I suspected that to be the case, but I wanted to see if it was a limited-run villain's e. e. e., or something produced in larger quantities, and where it originated. Those cunning Ivans.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 28 August , 2004 Share Posted 28 August , 2004 It's a modern copy ("fake"?) made in Russia. It is a copy or fake, but not necessarily modern. This pattern tin was sold as a souvenir as long ago as the 1920's. They are still being made, but it might not be from as far away as Russia. There's a company in Colne, Lancs. (about 6 miles away from me) that was banging these out only last year (it might still be for all I know). Unfortunately, they were only sold in bulk orders at the bank-busting price of £20 for 10 !!!! Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chip Minx Posted 28 August , 2004 Share Posted 28 August , 2004 Speaking of the gift boxes, I have seen someone in England offering replacements (modern reproductions) for the original contents. Has anyone seen them and are they any good? If they are nice, perhaps it wouldn't be a bad way to display an original box that was emptied? Chip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 29 August , 2004 Share Posted 29 August , 2004 Many thanks to Maj. Gen'l Croonaert for his intelligence - one should like to see a photograph of these Lancashire versions. Lt Minx will be happy to learn that I've seen the reproduction contents he mentions listed in eBay. These (consisting of the tobacco packet, and the cigarettes packet) are exact reprints of the original labels (no contents of course; we all know that tobacco - like firearms, alcohol, butter, cheese, milk, and pork - is intrinsically evil) but since they are reproduced on photo-offset machines, and 'printed' on long-grain, heavily-calendered paper (intended to function smoothly through the many rollers of photo-copiers, etc.) they look far too flat and greyish. Bad luck, what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 29 August , 2004 Share Posted 29 August , 2004 one should like to see a photograph of these Lancashire versions. Bert. They look exactly like the one in the photo that you posted! (Though ,maybe, a little less "polished" - the metal being a little duller, which makes me think that yours could possibly be one of the older post war fakes). dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 29 August , 2004 Share Posted 29 August , 2004 Jolly good. Perhaps it was a worthwhile gamble after all. V. many thanks. Bert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 4 September , 2004 Share Posted 4 September , 2004 Follow up: One of these tins is now on eBay, probably one of the Lancashire versions reported by MG Croonaert. See http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...me=STRK:MEWA:IT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 4 September , 2004 Share Posted 4 September , 2004 This type usually has a snap on lid rather than hinged - is this box like that? I saw these on sale in Hungary, Budapest to be exact, back in 1998. Nice reflection of your hands holding the camera Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 4 September , 2004 Share Posted 4 September , 2004 Just a snippet, I just thought I would add that the Lusitania had on board brass specifically to make these boxes. Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bert Posted 5 September , 2004 Share Posted 5 September , 2004 MG Bowbrick will be surprised to learn that those are not my handsin that reflection.... Maj Museumtom is quite right; the fund's Executive Committee contracted with various American suppliers for a large quantity of brass strip, and this is now hidden at the bottom of the ocean, where no one can find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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