1849 "Mi Necha" Cuban Box

[Coloniales]

This box I bought years ago, on eBay if I remember correctly.  The company name is Mi Necha Fabrica de Tabacos Habana-R.A.C Ca. (R.A.C. standing for Ramon Allones y Compania!) The box is 100  Coronas de Allones, Cabinet Minatures. This is a typical box from Ramon Allones. But the most interesting bit is the stamping on the lid. HRH Prince Albert, Winsor(bad spelling) 1849.   Simon Chase told me, this was the oldest box he had ever seen. JJ Fox have one from the Great Exhibition of 1851, with cigars in it, at their museum.!  

[99call]

Very strange, the style of production is very similar to stuff post 1900. I don't even think you would expect to see plated metals used on the fixings if it was 1840, rather mild steel. 

6 hours ago, Coloniales said:

JJ Fox have one from the Great Exhibition of 1851, with cigars

Sorry, just seen this. Very cool.

Is the JJ fox box a similar style?

[Coloniales]

It is a Cabanas box, made of glass and metal of some sort. Small double perfectos classics of the period. Allegedly, one of the cigars was sacrificed to allow Habanos to see how this were constructed. Hence how Cuabas came to be. Regards the box i posted, I do have the same style boxes by Ramon Allones.

[99call]

1 hour ago, Coloniales said:

It is a Cabanas box, made of glass and metal of some sort. Small double perfectos classics of the period. Allegedly, one of the cigars was sacrificed to allow Habanos to see how this were constructed. Hence how Cuabas came to be. Regards the box i posted, I do have the same style boxes by Ramon Allones.

Ah, I see. 

I would still be inclined to think this is from much later. On similar boxes I've had I noticed that earlier ones look like they have hand cut chunkier strait edged joints (still with pencil marks from the craftsmen), and before that hand cut actual dovetails. This looks to be much more modern smaller properly mechanised jointing. 

Is there a chance the personalised branding was actually referencing something related to what a previous owner was collecting? Coins? Stamps? It looks like it has been done by heating singular letter punches.

I'm genuinely unsure, but I do think this in more 1920-1940.   

[teamrandr]

Thanks for sharing!!