Popular Post Puros Y Vino Posted June 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2022 I was approached by someone looking for information on the following item. It is a metal box, welded shut with what is assumed to contain cigars. It has a Cuban seal on it. The seal appears to be the one used from 1931-61. Dimensions: 19 x 5x 2.5 cm In addition to the Cuban seal, it has a sticker from a B&M in London. Grunebaums. 59 James;s Street. London. S.W.1 I've reached out to Rob Fox and team and they're not sure what to make of it. From my research, the Gruenebaums name might have some relation to Phillip Morris. But that relationship seems to pre-date this artefact by decades. In hopes that someone here might have a clue as to what this might be, I was asked if I could post this here. The contact would like to remain anonymous. So. Is this something specially commissioned or someone's flight of fancy? 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fugu Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 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] 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSXCIGAR Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 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.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSXCIGAR Posted June 21, 2022 Share Posted June 21, 2022 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted June 21, 2022 Author Share Posted June 21, 2022 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fugu Posted June 21, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 21, 2022 Here’s what I probably had in mind - from a different era: (taken from Deschodt & Morane, 1996) 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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