Mystery Metal Box with Cuban seal circa 1931 - 1961


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Seen such before, but can’t quite pinpoint where. All I can contribute is that such type of packaging had been used for army supplies (back in the day), marine/polar expeditions etc. AFAI remember.

Another bit which a google search brought up (from a cached page of cigardojo) is the following excerpt: “Winston spent a sizeable amount of his income on cigars. In 1914, he owed his cigar supplier, J. Grunebaum & Sons, nearly 800 pounds - equivalent to approximately $100,000 in today’s money.”

[article published in 2017]

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9 minutes ago, Fugu said:

Another bit which a google search brought up (from a cached page of cigardojo) is the following excerpt: “Winston spent a sizeable amount of his income on cigars. In 1914, he owed his cigar supplier, J. Grunebaum & Sons, nearly 800 pounds - equivalent to approximately $100,000 in today’s money.”

[article published in 2017]

Great find!  The Churchill Archive has an image of a bill from this shop.  Probably one of many. :)

https://www.churchillarchive.com/churchill-archive/explore/page?id=CHAR 1/110#image=6

I can't seem to get it. I probably have to register.

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Grunebaums appears to be a vendor so I don't think that will help identify this. It's just a retailer tag and not a commissioned production or anything. A 31-61 seal isn't enough to identify this as anything. There were just too many pre-Rev products made but it's certainly reasonable to think this was some kind of production during WWII. 

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10 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Grunebaums appears to be a vendor so I don't think that will help identify this. It's just a retailer tag and not a commissioned production or anything. A 31-61 seal isn't enough to identify this as anything. There were just too many pre-Rev products made but it's certainly reasonable to think this was some kind of production during WWII. 

@Fugu 's post sheds some light about this type of packaging.  The Churchill archives has bills/receipts of his transactions all over.  I'm not saying this is attributed to Sir Winston.  Given, the packaging, and the era of the seal (unless I'm mistaken? Anyone with a differing opinion?)  coincides with the WWII era.  Could have been commissioned by a high ranking officer? Politician? etc..

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7 minutes ago, Puros Y Vino said:

@Fugu 's post sheds some light about this type of packaging.  The Churchill archives has bills/receipts of his transactions all over.  I'm not saying this is attributed to Sir Winston.  Given, the packaging, and the era of the seal (unless I'm mistaken? Anyone with a differing opinion?)  coincides with the WWII era.  Could have been commissioned by a high ranking officer? Politician? etc..

Possible, but who knows--although it's probably unlikely it was ordered by a commoner during the time. Times were tough and money was tight. Always a chance it was someone noteworthy although that requires documentation. If there were even a serial or order number on the tag it would help but it's pretty generic. Someone could have just walked in and bought it. All of their products may have gone out the door with that tag. All we know is Churchill bought from the shop. 

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13 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

All we know is Churchill bought from the shop.

Yup. It's definitely wishful thinking to think this item was attributed to him. :D

 

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